In an email to McGlinn residents sent Wednesday, October 28, the Office of Residential Life informed students that Elizabeth Greenop has been found not responsible of any allegations of sexual misconduct aimed at her.
“After a thorough investigation into anonymous online allegations against a rector and the purported corroborating evidence submitted anonymously to the university, there was no evidence to support that any of the alleged misconduct occurred,” the email states. “Accordingly, the rector was found not responsible.”
Allegations regarding Greenop’s conduct were first voiced in posts by the Instagram account @shareyourstory.notredame. The account, self-described as “for survivors, by survivors,” shares anonymous submissions from users who fill out a Google form linked in the account bio. With permission from the author of the first submission, the Instagram account owner formally filed a report to the university. Within two weeks of the original June 30 postings implicating Greenop, the university placed her on leave from her position and initiated an immediate investigation.
In an Instagram direct message with the Rover, @shareyourstory.notredame clarified that—to ensure anonymity—no submissions to the account are verified for accuracy.
The owner of the Instagram profile and the authors of all submissions posted by the account, which are filed through an anonymous form, are unknown. According to the email update from the Office of Residential Life, the university’s investigation “included numerous interviews with members of the residence hall community.” During these interviews, no one claimed to have witnessed or been subject to the allegations against Greenop.
In response to the recent email announcement, an anonymous McGlinn resident told the Rover, “I think that most people from the dorm thought that she wasn’t guilty, so everyone was relieved at receiving this news.”
On August 18, Greenop filed a complaint to Saint Joseph County Superior Court for defamation against the anonymous authors of the allegation and anonymous user of the Instagram account @shareyourstory.notredame. The lawsuit accuses the anonymous parties, or “Doe defendants,” of defamation, resulting in “lasting injury to her reputation, profession, and personal life, including
the loss of her employment and livelihood as a rector at the University of Notre Dame.”
In an October 6 hearing, Judge Mark Telloyan of Saint Joseph County Superior Court granted the request by Greenop to subpoena Meta, the parent company of Instagram. This motion may allow Meta to reveal information including the identity of the Instagram account and authors of the anonymous submissions resulting in Greenop’s removal. The court order allows Meta 30 days following the subpoena to notify the account owner and submission authors, and contacted individuals will have 30 days to object before Meta can share its findings.
The defamation suit cannot progress until the identities of the Doe defendants are revealed in court.
While the lawsuit is ongoing, the email announces that Greenop will continue her career at Notre Dame. Per the communication, “Liz will return from administrative leave in the coming weeks and has decided to take on a new role in the Division of Student Affairs as an Assistant Director in Residential Life.” The university is searching for a new rector to serve McGlinn Hall beginning January 2027 at the start of next semester. Meanwhile, Ally Liedtke will serve as interim rector of McGlinn Hall for the remainder of this semester.
An anonymous student voiced frustration with the claims of the anonymous submissions with the Rover. Discussing the gravity and graphic details of the claims, she said, “It saddens me to think that someone’s career was nearly ended over an untrue statement about a matter this serious.” Further, the student continued to discuss the nature of the claim as a disservice to those subject to assault, asserting, “Making false statements like this discredits the voices of true victims.”
Clare DiFranco is a senior studying accounting and Italian. Contact her at cdifranc@nd.edu.