Grove City College Clarifies Agreement With Porn Actor (Gay Actor suspended from Christian College)

WYTV ^ | 5/13/2009

[SeekAndFind]

Grove City College officials say no deal is in place that assures John Gechter will graduate from the school. Gechter withdrew last week after the college suspended him for working in the pornography industry. Gechter was discovered by a fellow student and school administrators appearing in online gay pornography. The conservative Christian school suspended Gechter for behavior that conflicts with the student code of conduct. Gechter led a secret life for two years, flying to the west coast on weekends to work in porn videos designed for internet audiences.

In an interview with our newsroom last week, Gechter said he was just a couple of classes short of graduation. GCC says in a news release that Gechter can follow the established policy and reapply. That would then trigger the appeal process of his suspension. If the appeal is to be successful, the school maintains that requirements would have to bet met which include adhering to the standards of conduct.

[SeekAndFind]

More here :

http://www.sharonherald.com/local/local_story_132194038.html

UPDATE: GCC student’s withdrawal clarified

Allied News

GROVE CITY —

John Gechter has withdrawn from Grove City College in hopes that he will eventually be able to get his undergraduate degree in molecular biology from the conservative Christian school.

Gechter, 22, of Philadelphia, was suspended last month after college administrators learned through an anonymous e-mail of his off-campus career as an actor in gay pornography. The school said Gechter’s work under the alias of Vincent DeSalvo violated the school’s values and student code of conduct.

Gechter, 22, said he had sufficient credits to graduate, except for two classes – the one he was taking this semester and another he planned to take this summer. Gechter said Grove City offered him a deal in which he would voluntarily withdraw from the college and take the two courses at another institution. GCC would then allow him transfer those credits and graduate, he said.

Amy Clingensmith, the college’s communications director, issued a statement, citing that “no such agreement has been made” between the college and Gechter.

“Mr. Gechter voluntarily withdrew from the college,” the statement read. “The college has an established policy by which he may reapply. That re-application, however, would then reinstate the appeal process related to the suspension Mr. Gechter appealed before deciding to withdraw.

“If he were to fulfill the requirements to be readmitted, including any related to the standards of conduct, he could then be eligible to complete his degree.

“No diploma will be awarded, if at all, until the appeal process is completed to the satisfaction of the college. Accordingly, the awarding of (Gechter’s) degree would not be automatic.”

Gechter on Tuesday clarified his statements about reaching a compromise.

He said college officials e-mailed him saying his graduation would have to be approved by Provost William P. Anderson as part of the appeal process.

That approval would be based on several factors, which include ceasing his involvement in the gay pornography industry. Gechter also said he is required to take sufficient time away from the college before reapplying to provide a “degree of separation” for both the college and himself.

Gechter said that once his contractual obligation is complete in the next few months, he would stop performing in hopes of receiving his degree from Grove City.

In the college’s original statement regarding Gechter’s suspension, Ms. Clingensmith said Gechter could apply to return in the fall of 2010.

[FatherofFive]

Gechter was discovered by a fellow student and school administrators appearing in online gay pornography.

And why are they all watching homosexual porn on-line?

[mnehring]

Gechter was discovered by a fellow student and school administrators appearing in online gay pornography.

So apparently Gechter had a 'market' for his 'product' at the college.

[SeekAndFind]

And why are they all watching homosexual porn on-line?

I believe the original news mentioned that a student saw his "show" online and squealed on him.

See here :

Christian college discovers porn career of student from Berks, suspends him

http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=138244

If everything had gone according to plan, John Gechter would have been studying Thursday for a final exam - one of his last obligations before graduation from Grove City College with a degree in molecular biology.

Instead, the 2005 Muhlenberg High School graduate was suspended and the chances are slim that he'll be attending the weekend ceremonies on campus.

For the past two years, Gechter, 22, has been paying the bills through his secret life as gay porn star "Vincent DeSalvo," earning as much as $11,000 per weekend while jetting off to Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles to film videos.

He did so without telling a soul on the 2,300-student campus in Mercer County.

But on April 23, a fellow student at the college that describes itself as "authentically Christian" found Gechter's work on the Web and forwarded evidence of his secret identity to friends. The next day, Gechter had a meeting with administrators.

His punishment: an indefinite suspension and a prohibition from re-applying for admission until the fall of 2010. A Grove City appeals board turned down his initial appeal. One is pending.

Gechter, who said he is bisexual, had been warned by his employers in the adult film industry that his identity would likely become known.

Though Gechter said that his porn career opened doors in modeling and acting, he now wishes that he hadn't done it, given the academic consequences and the pain it has caused his religious family.

When he broke the news, his mother started praying and fasting. His father was upset, but said that they still loved him.

[PurpleMan]

If you’re out to out them, it’s OK. //S//

[SeekAndFind]

So apparently Gechter had a 'market' for his 'product' at the college.

Yep, that's right, at least for ONE student. We don't know how many else were viewing his show.

[trumandogz]

Is the problem based on his being in porn or in gay porn?

[FatherofFive]

If you’re out to out them, it’s OK. //S//

"My client merely found the drugs, and was on his way to turn them into the police at the time of his arrest!"

[PurpleMan]

“...discovered by a fellow student and school administrators...”

“Lucy! Someone’s got some ‘splainin’ to do!”

[SeekAndFind]

Is the problem based on his being in porn or in gay porn?

PORN. It is against the school's code of conduct, which also frowns upon premarital sex. You have to sign and agree to abide by the code of conduct before the school will accept you.

[ClearCase_guy]

Sounds like a decent school policy. Do you know how their educational standards measure up?

[trumandogz]

Well, then the fact that he was in “gay” porn is not an issue but instead the issue is that he has in porn.

That being the case, he needs to be tossed from school.

I wonder if that school has a policy against their students and faculty watching porn?

If so, some others need to be expelled and fired.

[SeekAndFind]

Do you know how their educational standards measure up?

This from Wikipedia (which I think is well sourced and pretty accurate ) :

Rankings

Grove City has an acceptance rate around 56%.[22] About 14% of its most recent freshman class are either high school valedictorians or salutatorians.[18] The average GPA of entering freshmen is 3.74 unweighted and 3.98 weighted.[23] The average ACT score of the 2011 incoming freshmen class was 28.[24] The average SAT score of the 2011 incoming freshman class was 1269.[24] The average SAT scores were as follows: Math—644; Critical Reading—635; Writing—not reported.[25]

Grove City was ranked as the nation's second most politically conservative college by US News and World Report. [26] Human Events Magazine ranks it as one of the cream of the crop in America's conservative colleges.[27] Among all colleges, however, the widely-followed US News and World Report college rankings place Grove City in the third tier of liberal arts colleges.[28] The conservative think tank Free Congress Foundation, includes Grove City among its list of top colleges that provide excellent liberal arts.[29] For two consecutive years (2006 and 2007), The Young America's Foundation placed Grove City in its Top 10 Conservative Colleges list. The schools on this list offer coursework and scholarship in conservative thought and emphasize principles including smaller government, strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values.[30] Fiske Guide to Getting Into the Right College concurs and lists Grove City among its top 10 conservative colleges.[31]

According to the Intercollegiate Studies Institute's 2007 publication of Choosing the Right College, the 2007 US News and World Report college guide ranks Grove City the number one "best value" among northern comprehensive colleges—the fifth year running the school has earned that distinction. The school has a total cost (including tuition, room, and board) of $19,414 a year. Similarly, Barron’s Educational Series has called Grove City College a "Best Buy"[32] and USA TODAY ranks Grove City among the top 100 best value colleges in the nation for 2009.[33] It has also been positively reviewed in the Intercollegiate Studies Institute's guide Choosing the Right College: The Whole Truth about America's Top Schools. Princeton Review also ranks Grove City College as among the Top 20 in career/job placement services based on satisfaction of students who graduate from the school.[34] It is considered one of the most home school friendly colleges in the Northeast.[35][36] Grove City College is also considered one of the most selective Christian colleges in the nation.[18] Barron's Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges - 2004 also lists Grove City College as one of the 65 Most Competitive Colleges and Universities in the nation.[37] College Data's Online College Advisor profile ranks Grove City as Most Difficult in terms of entrance requirement.[25] Peterson's College Guide also ranks its entrance requirement as Most Difficult.[38]

In two consecutive nationwide studies made by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) in cooperation with researchers from the University of Connecticut's Department of Public Policy to determine the extent of civic literacy in higher education,[39] Grove City College students ranked among the top 5 nationally in terms of knowledge of U.S. history, government, economy and international relations. The study was based on the results of a multiple-choice test given to 14,000 randomly chosen freshmen and seniors on 50 college and university campuses.[40] In two consecutive years of ISI's study, Grove City was ranked number 4 in 2006[41] and number 2 in 2007,[42] above most Ivy league universities.[43]

College Prowler, the largest publisher of college content in the United States, gave Grove City College an "A+" rating for the safety and security of the campus, according to its latest released rankings. Only 12 schools in the USA received the highest rating.[44][45] The high grade "means that students generally feel safe, campus police are visible, blue-light phones and escort services are readily available, and safety precautions are not overly necessary," according to the College Prowler guide. The rating is a result of the recommendation of the guide’s student author, direct student feedback and other factors such as the presence and size of a police force and security staff, services provided, the area and campus crime reports, security of dormitories and the prevalence of campus theft.

[napscoordinator]

When he broke the news, his mother started praying and fasting. His father was upset, but said that they still loved him.

That is the worst part of the entire story. His parents are so disappointed. I don’t know how he can give penance to God for doing these videos. He is sorry but now he needs to do some serious penance...tough to do when the damage is done.

[longtermmemmory]

they googled him and it appeared?

[madprof98]

He is sorry but . . .

Sounds as if he's not sorry enough to stop doing it until his contract runs out.

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

Sounds pretty consistent with what I know about GCC.

[napscoordinator]

Sounds as if he’s not sorry enough to stop doing it until his contract runs out.

That certainly could be true, but actually I hope he is seriously sorry for his actions. I have heard of prostitutes who have changed their lives ten fold after either an arrest or some other life changing situation and actually turn out to be really good human beings and some even become very good Christians. It could happen. I know that we are sometimes suspect of people but I am a relatively positive person and give people the benefit of the doubt...at least at first.

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

From what I have heard, the administration is concerned about more than just their reputation. They are concerned about this young man's life. This life-style is unhealthy and potentially dangerous. They seem to be concerned about this young man wholly.

PS-My son just finished his freshman year at GCC.

[napscoordinator]

Hopefully (not required by the school) they will get the guy some professional assistance. It is good to hear that they are concerned for the guy. Congrats on your son’s progress. Quite frankly I am glad that he still has three years to go...hopefully the economy and employment will be much better by then.

Did this porno guy complete all his credits? I would imagine that some liberal college would accept his credits and allow him to graduate...these type of colleges just seem the type to do that to spite the good university.