Tuesday, September 12, 2006

GRAND RAPIDS PRESS ARTICLE

As I say in the explanation of my blog, ("My Calvin Seminary Story"), I knew that a Grand Rapids PRESS reporter would be contacting me. That happened yesterday, and the article appeared in this morning's paper. Considering all the information to absorb and the very few hours to press time, the story was covered well.

I had expected that Board president Jansma (and Neal Plantinga) would deny my allegations. Yes, Sid Jansma, Jr. is right. An Ad Hoc Committee of the Board did review my case. This committee called for "redress" and conciliation to "mediate the differences." Mediators were hired. They called for specific redress, including my being appointed full professor "at this time" and "retroactive pay to 2003." This Mediators' Report is what I say the Board did not deal with. I have not been offered any form of "redress." To say that my being appointed full professor (in the future) is "on the table" is not "redress" by any standard. "Redress" relates to righting past wrongs.

Any appointment of me as full professor that was "on the table" was accompanied by a silencing clause--a statement written by the administrators and 2 board officers on October 19, 2005: "In order to move forward with these plans, the parties agree to not talk about the events that occurred before October 19, 2005. . . ." [Document # 85 in my notebook.] This would have been part of my being appointed full professor--that which was "on the table." I was not then nor am I now willing to sign a silencing agreement. They have wanted to silence me from the very beginning.

Regarding the statement, "one other woman has been added to the 22 full-time faculty." Yes, Kathy Smith, a recent grad, now has faculty status as the Director of Continuing Education. But she has not run the gauntlet; that is, she has not gone through the regular interview process that all full-faculty appointees must endure: interviews with one of the Divisions, the Full Faculty, the Board, and Synod.

1 comment:

  1. Dr. Tucker,

    I read your story with grief. I am truly sorry for your pain. May God's grace sustain you in all. With that, I am...

    Peter

    ReplyDelete