A scandal at Niagara County Community College first uncovered by the 7 Eyewitness News I-Team has left another top administrator out of a job.
Fran Giles, the college’s security director who came under fire after making controversial remarks about victims of sexual assault, has resigned, a school spokeswoman confirmed.
James Klyczek, who was the college president at the time of the scandal and who was also caught on tape making disparaging remarks about sex crime victims, resigned in April as he was about to be fired by the college board.
The tapes of the private meeting of top campus administrators last year showed that Giles called one of the sex assault victims “someone who is trying to self-gloss and embellish their own side for a lawsuit.”
He went on to question why the victim was walking, not running, when she escaped her attacker, and said, “I think this girl sees a meal ticket now...She's taking this and running with it.”
Victims advocates said the remarks made by Klyczek, Giles and others were deeply upsetting because they blamed the victims, rather than the alleged perpetrator, for the attacks.
In addition, one of the victims has filed a lawsuit against the college because of the comments made by Klyczek, The Buffalo News reported Sunday.
7 Eyewitness News was contacted a month ago by a lawyer for one of the victims who said that it was these comments by administrators that prompted her to consider filing a lawsuit against against the school.
Giles did not respond to messages left for comment late Sunday, but the mother of one if the victims when told of Giles’ resignation, said, “This is better than any money could buy. I thank you and everyone at 7 News for your dedication to this story over the past year.”
It is unclear who will succeed Giles in the campus’ top security job.
