also listed as a Recommended College by the Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College. The Guide, which seeks to defend and promote Catholic higher education, calls Christendom "a national model of faithful liberal arts education and Catholic formation." Over the years, the college has also received praise from political leaders in the United States. In 2018, while delivering the Commencement Address for Christendom, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said, “This is a wonderful, wonderful, college… a decidedly Catholic college, and I am decidedly and unapologetically Catholic. It is this faith that has been the guiding beacon during some difficult and seemingly hopeless times, even when I had turned my heart against Him and turned my back on [faith]. I have no doubt that this faith will do the same for each of you if you let it, and perhaps even if you don’t. It is not a tether. Rather, it is a guide — the way, the truth, and the life.” Student sexual assault and harassment allegations By refusing to accept most forms of federal funding, Christendom College is exempt from many federal guidelines concerning sex-based and other forms of discrimination (e.g., Title IX), investigations into accusations of sexual abuse, and the sharing of information about on-campus crimes. On January 16, 2018, Catholic blogger Simcha Fisher broke the story of three rape and sexual harassment allegations by students of the college. College President Timothy O'Donnell acknowledged victims in an official statement, saying, "We have failed some of our students. I am grateful to each woman who has come forward with her story. We need to hear you and your experience. Disclosing abuse and its aftermath is painful and difficult, and it takes a tremendous amount of courage. To those students who have been harmed, I am deeply sorry. We will do better." This statement has since been removed from the college website. The college has since updated the apology with a Sexual Misconduct FAQs page that outlines the steps the college takes when cases of sexual misconduct are brought to its attention. Since the story initially broke, additional allegations of at least 18 previous cases of sexual harassment and assault over the past 45 years have been made. As a result, a group of alumni called for the school to adopt Title IX policies to better protect students in the future and also called for the resignation of