[Peace-discuss] Fwd: NG editorial on Blackwater and University

[Barbara kessel]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Brian Dolinar <briandolinar at gmail.com>
Date: Sep 12, 2007 11:38 AM
Subject: NG editorial
To: Barbara kessel <barkes at gmail.com>, Karen Medina
<kmedina at uiuc.edu>, Roger Epperson <cgrle at yahoo.com>, Belden Fields
<a-fields at uiuc.edu>, Christopher Evans <caevans2 at hotmail.com>






Silence on resignation

Wednesday September 12, 2007

Tom Dempsey is no longer the director of the University of Illinois'
Police Training Institute.

It's not clear why.

Is it only because he did work for Blackwater USA, a controversial
private security firm? (At one point, UI provost Linda Katehi was
quoted in the Chicago Tribune as saying, "We don't want our name
associated with a firm that is controversial.") Is it because he
appears to have asked coworkers, in e-mails, to conceal his work for
Blackwater? Is it for some other, more nefarious reason?

Neither Dempsey nor the UI are saying. And under the terms of their
"resignation agreement," neither side will say anything else beyond
the settlement revealed last week.

The first two sentences of the agreement are puzzling: "In light of
the controversy surrounding his affiliation with Blackwater USA,
DEMPSEY has resigned from his position as Director of the Police
Training Institute. Inquiry into this matter revealed DEMPSEY had
adhered by UIUC policy regarding non-university employment and
vacation time."

So if Dempsey had followed university policy in those areas, does that
mean there are other areas where he was in violation? And if so, why
are those violations not being disclosed? Is the university hiding
something?

It appears that Dempsey, if not trying to hide something, was not
forthright with his superiors at the UI. In an e-mail to two other PTI
administrators, Dempsey wrote, "How about a party line, if anyone even
inquires, that I am away using accrued leave time to conduct some
international training? If anyone pins you down, not a problem being
honest but I'd leave Blackwater's name out of the conversation." In
another e-mail, he advises, "Careful in conversation with her or
media."

While Dempsey was being secretive in his e-mails to colleagues, the
university is being just as stealthy about its reason for agreeing to
an elaborate resignation agreement with him.

As a public, taxpayer-supported institution, and not a private
business, the University of Illinois should be transparent and
accountable in its operations. By not revealing the reasons for
Dempsey's sudden departure, the university only invites speculation
about whether it was just trying to dodge controversy or whether there
was a more serious reason, one that could go unaddressed because of
the UI's own silence. ________________________________
 Find this article at:
 http://www.news-gazette.com/news/opinions/editorials/2007/09/12/silence_on_resignation

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