Coalition Seeks Reconciliation For Gallaudet Protesters
By
Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
December 20, 2006
WASHINGTON,
DC--A coalition of faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Gallaudet University
have expressed outrage at a decision by the school's Board of Trustees to allow
administrators to continue with disciplinary actions against students who led
the protests that resulted in a change in leadership at the nation's largest
school for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
For several weeks this spring and fall, hundreds of people held public
demonstrations, effectively shutting down the college, over the board's choice
of Jane K. Fernandes to head up the school when President I King Jordan leaves
at the end of the year. The protesters said that Fernandes was not capable of
heading up the school or effectively representing the deaf community.
After the board finally decided to fire Fernandes, the board announced a
freeze on disciplinary actions against the students who led the demonstrations.
On December 9, however, the trustees decided to allow the administration
to deal with individual students' actions the same as they would any other
violations of the university's code of conduct. For those found guilty of
violating the code, disciplinary actions could include suspension or expulsion.
"I don't think it ends at this," Diane Morton, a faculty member who
joined the protests, told the Associated Press. "This is unacceptable."
Parents United for Gallaudet asked the board on November 11 to consider
an "amnesty of reprisals" for protesters, whom the group described as "the true
heroes of Gallaudet", so the school could move forward.
In a letter to incoming president Robert R. Davila, the coalition asked
for help in opening the lines of communication at the university.
Related:
"Students face stir penalty" (Associated Press via
Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20061215-103348-4851r.htm
Letter
from Gallaudet University Faculty, Staff, Students & Alumni's Attorney to
Board of Trustees (Latham & Watkins, LLP)
http://support.gufssa.com/Letter_Holmes_7dec2006.pdf
Letter
to Dr. Davila from Parents United for Gallaudet (Gallaudet University Faculty,
Staff, Students & Alumni)
http://news.gufssa.com/2006/12/
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Reproduced here under special arrangement
with Inclusion Daily Express international disability rights news service.
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