Students for Chief Illiniwek, the post-factum support group for the now-removed Chief of the University of ILL, has posted on its site disturbing emails of disgraced, ex-Chancellor Herman, Renee Romano, Stephen Kaufman, Robert Warrior, and Anna Gonzalez.
Whatever one's opinion is on the Chief, the lack of transparency and willful attempt (though Romano will probably claim it, misquote seems unlikely given their track record-see below)to prevent a student group by administrators reveals a frightening trend that has been creeping at the UI for awhile now.
To be fair, this decent into darkness (or at least, lack of transparency) originates even before Richard Herman, the criminal actions of whom we have heavily documented here. We must go back to Nancy Cantor, who brokered behind-her-office door-deals with Bill Cook and the Progressive-Resource Coalition after taking university buildings hostage. At the time (and even today) the instances were ignored and celebrated by the TASSers at the DI.
Also writing in the emails, is Stephen Kaufman, in attempt to not only stop the "Next Dance" event but to revoke SFCI entirely. Lest we forget, this is the same Stephen Kaufman, who has since spent his emeritus, and hopefully, declining years grousing about his failure to be politically appointed to the BOT, due to his monolithic fixation on the Chief issue at the expense of all others. This was the same man who sued Michael Aiken on free speech ground for simply declaring NCAA policy, and won, and now seeks to deny the same rights to another group, echoing the "free speech for me but not thee" mantra practiced by faculty and administrators nationally in many colleges and universities. By the way, Kaufman has recently authored letters posted at the IMC (which, contrary to the name is financed in part by the Campus Faculty Association ), which publishes the Public, a four-page hate rant, where he bizarrely equates Chief support to murdering Kiwame Carrington.
In addition, this is not the first time Herman has run afoul of First Amendment rights. This is the same Richard Herman, who (similar to the tone of Romano in her emails), felt that criticism of Islam has no place in the public print.
With budget issues and furloughs, a good start the university can me is to flush the "Diversity" office. Indeed, Anna Gonzalez's* bio brags about a sixty-million slush of dubious use at UC-Irvine. Tightening the belt, yeah right.
*As your unofficial ombudogs, we should point out to you, DI, that you tagged her twice.
Posted by Hound No. 7 and Hound No. 9 [who was courteous enough to post under 7's color :) ]
