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UNC-Chapel Hill Under Fire
Administration quiet on subject of federal investigations
By Akinwole N'Gai Wright
Editor
It is no big secret that UNC-
Chapel Hill is under investigation
by the Equal Employment Op
portunity Commission and the
U.S. E)epartmentof Education for
alleged discriminatory hiring and
promoting practices and other
civil rights violations. But the big
secret is the acoial investigation
itself. How is it unfolding? What
is the latest concerning the inves
tigation? If the Univ^ty is in
fact found in violation of federal
govemmentrestrictions, what wiU
the consequences be to UNC?
How much money could be lost?
What services or areas will this
loss affect? It seems no one at all
dealing direcdy with this federal
investigation knows, ot is willing
to volunteer, any information
about these and many other ques
tions on the subject.
A Cover-Up?
Suspicions of a covCT-up by
the University administration
arose when the Chapel Hill-
Carrboro branch of the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP) was
made aware of a memo from sen
ior counsel and assistant to the
chancellOT Susan H. Ehringhaus
to nine UNC administrators.
“I write for the purpose of
notifying you of those parts of the
Complaint that relate to your par
ticular jurisdiction,” the memo
said. “All responses to the Office
fOT Civil Rights and to EEOC will
be coordinated through this office,
and any contact that any one of
you have with anyone from OCR
(V EEOC should be referred to me.
Bob Cannon, Laurie Charest, and
I will be working with each of you
to put together the necessary in
formation as well as to coordinate
the site visits, should they be held.
We will let you know as soon as
we receive any further word.”
' The NAACP subsequently
notified the investigating federal
organizations of the memo from
Ehringhaus.
Ehringhaus said she was not
“altogether free to comment on
the status of the investigation,”
nor could she comment on the
consequences of the investigation
if the University is found in viola
tion of federal restrictions.
“I can’t speculate,” she said.
“As an institution’s lawyer, it
would be wrong for me to do that.”
Dr. Ben J. Tuchi, vice-chan
cellor of business and finance and
one of the nine administrators to
receive the memo from Ehring
haus, said he would be “wildly
speculating” if he were to com
ment on the financial consequences
of a cut in funds from the U.S
Department of Education as a re
sult of the investigation.
“There are possibly a wide
range of alternatives,” he said. “I
have no expertise and no idea. The
person lo talk to would be Susan
Ehringhaus.”
Laurie Charest, associate vice-
chancellor of human resources,
was mentioned in the memo as an
aide to Susan Ehringhaus.
“I guess I should probably re
fer you to Susan Ehringhaus as she
is dealing directly with the Office
of Civil Rights. She is the most
qualified toanswerquestions,” she
said.
Affirmative Action Officer
Bob Cannon, also mentioned as an
aide to Susan Ehringhaus in the
memo, also said he could not
comment on the subject.
“I can’t tell you anything,” he
said. “I just choose not lo.”
Keith Edwards, of the Univer
sity Police, filed the complaint with
the Office for Civil Rights that re
sulted in the investigation currently
underway. She said the behavior
of the University administration
in its handling of the federal inves
tigation was typical.
“Instead of setting an example
by trying to solve any problems of
racism in the University commu
nity, the chancellor would rather
withstand the investigation and
setde in court,” Edwards said. “At
the present moment, we don ’ t have
any administrators ready to deal
with these racial and discrimina
tory problems. The University ad
ministration is conducting itself
now the same way that it did in
federal investigations of the past.”
Although it may be pleasing to
African-Americans and other stu
dents of color. Physical Plant
workers, professors and other staff
to benefit from any action being
taken against the University for
alleged racial and discriminatory
problems, one must wonder who
will actually be affected by from
any loss of money the University
suffers. Budget cuts have already
become the scapegoat for the de
nial or cancellation of minority
interest programs on campus.
Women’s studies and African
and Afro-American studies have
been cut and the possibility that
the AFAM curriculum may be
come a department again looks
very slim. And the thought of
University monies funding a per
manent Black Cultural Center
seems but a dream. Raises for
Physical Plant workers seem even
more intangible.
In light of the cutbacks already
present, it would be quite interest
ing to know what the funds from
the U.S. Department of Education
supported at Chi^)el Hill and who
exactly would be affected, should
this money be lost. Although nei
ther Tuchi nor Ehringhaus would
reveal this information, it seems
reasonable to assume that if the
University lost even more money,
the already financially-sa’apped
minority-oriented programs would
not receive a great deal more
money. A double-edged sword,
indeed.
In spite of these things, the fact
remains that UNC must realize
grievances concerning sexism, ra
cism and otho* complaints by non
affluent members of the Univer
sity community and staff must be
taken seriously. Although large
cutbacks of any kind will more
than likely hurt minority members
of the University community, it is
more important that we all suffer
these tight times now and look
forward to a better future than to
sit and allow people to be harassed
and threatened in their place of
work or study.
/x
U ':., iltwr-ENT
CLXXATICW
7
Black Ink March 4,1991