By Dayne Sherman (Special to LouisianaVoice)
Louisiana higher education has been cut by $750 million and is arguably the state with the worst budget cuts in America.
In addition, Louisiana has more schools on the American Association of University Professors Censure List than any other state. The disgraced schools include LSU, Southern, SLU, Nicholls, and Northwestern.
Recently, Dr. Teresa Buchanan http://www.teresabuchananlsu.com/, an associate professor of education at LSU, was fired. In short, she was accused of using profanity on occasion. Despite never receiving a poor work evaluation in almost 20 years, and not being told exactly when and where and what she said that was so objectionable, and the administration using dubious anonymous student comments to substantiate their witch hunt, she was terminated.
Oh, I failed to mention that the faculty hearing committee said she had done nothing to warrant dismissal, despite the salty language. They called for remediation not termination.
This story, however, is a part of a bigger myth. Some say college professors and K-12 teachers are rarely fired. That’s baloney.
I know dozens and dozens of professors: tenured, tenure track, and instructors that were fired. A few were fired through the formal process, while most others were told to resign (retire) or face termination. I also know hundreds fired by “layoffs.” Not dozens but hundreds. It is constant and very common. Few fight it. They give up and move on, which is often smart.
Typically only tenured professors have access to any due process. Tenure track, lecturers, instructors, staff, and adjuncts are at-will employees with no protection unless they are discriminated against for First Amendment or EEOC-protected reasons (For example, a Jewish woman being fired for speaking out against campus crime would be illegal, tenure or no tenure).
Of course, the victims have to sue—a tall order because the institutions will spend a half a million dollars in state money to fight the suit. Remember LSU’s Ivor Van Heerden after Hurricane Katrina?
In higher education, folks are often given the old “two letter treatment”: sign this letter and willingly resign, or we’ll give you another letter of termination. Most people choose the former, and Human Resources forbids the staff from talking about the departure. Hence, the silence.
Right now, I am not proud that my graduate degree is housed in the http://talkaboutthesouth.com/wp-admin/chse.lsu.edu, which is headed by Dean Damon P.S. Andrew. The college is a joke, and it harms the reputation of LSU as a whole.
At the end of the day, I believe LSU will not prevail in firing Dr. Buchanan. There’s more to it than what is on the surface, more than one person saying a few salty words.
To join the fight, speak up. If you are able, please send a check to Professor Michael Homan, Treasurer, Louisiana State Conference AAUP, 215 S. Alexander Street, New Orleans, LA 70119. Checks made out to: LA State Conference-AAUP. On the Memo line write: “Teresa Buchanan Legal Fund (Academic Freedom).”
Together, we can beat this silly attack on Dr. Buchanan, LSU, and Louisiana.
Dayne Sherman is the author of the novels Zion and Welcome to the Fallen Paradise http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V0O48T4, both $2.99 ebooks. He blogs at TalkAboutTheSouth.com
(Editor’s note): Dayne’s byline was inadvertently omitted from the original posting. Our apologies for the oversight.
Louisiana Voice 
Great essay!
As always, follow the money to get to the bottom of this case.
LSU has a track record of firing profs who do the right thing by blowing the whistle on corruption, cronyism, and discrimination and thereby threaten the high salaries of management. Ivor von Heerden is a prominent example, daring to tell the truth about the levees and the Corps of Engineers. Margot Herster is a more recent example, blowing the whistle on fraudulent use of student fees. Just those two cases cost LSU several million dollars in court costs and settlements to hush up the truth and not have to admit wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the managers involved are still at LSU. And the reason? LSU management is afraid telling the truth about the Corp, fraudulent use of student fees, and so on might result in a loss of federal research grants. And, in case people are unaware of this, not only do federal research grants to universities pay the direct costs of research (materials, supplies, labs, travel, salaries of lab workers), they also pay an extra 50% in what are known as “indirect costs” that LSU simply skims off the top to use for whatever it wants. Where do you think those six-figure salaries for LSU managers come from? Certainly not LSU’s ever-shrinking state funding.
And then, on the flip side, there are the coverups of wrongdoing by profs who really should be investigated for dismissal for cause, again because doing so would threaten federal funding and six-figure management salaries. You can find that fraud reported in the national and international media but never by LSU or its newspaper, the Advocate, which relies on deals with the same LSU managers for its sports coverage. Inside Higher Ed and the Times Higher Ed reported recently that a prominent psych prof at LSU and his colleagues, who bring in lots of federal grant dollars, are operating a publication cabal. The details of how profs do that are interesting, esoteric reading on a blog by an Oxford Univ psych prof who caught them at it and broke the story. The simple result, though, is that the more publications they get, the more famous they get, the more grant dollars they get, and the more federal money LSU managers get to put in their own pockets. Then there is the case, reported in the Chronicle of Higher Ed and other national and international outlets, of the famous english prof who was hired and promoted to full prof by LSU before leaving for UNLV for a highly paid endowed professorship. Too bad for him that UNLV discovered that his entire career was built on serial plagiarism. They did the right thing and terminated him for cause. From what’s reported, it should have been obvious when this fellow was at LSU but no one wanted to rock the boat and be von Heerdened for pointing it out. And let’s not even mention the Bill Cassidy whitewash, which is in a class by itself.
I expect that eventually we will find out why Buchanan really had her tenure revoked. It will no doubt be something similar to von Heerden’s whistleblowing on the Corps or Herster’s on fraudulent use of student fees. There is a lot of federal money in early childhood education, and something she did or said no doubt was seen as a possible threat to that cash cow. The overall pattern of behavior by LSU’s management is more disturbing than the details of any particular case, however. It amounts to a witch hunt against anyone who blows a whistle that might threaten the six-figure salaries management skims off federal grants and a coverup of research fraud that brings in those grants.
At least get the facts correct. The official reason given is that she was fired for sexual harassment and creating a hostile learning environment.
The faculty committee recommended censure, not “remediation.”
The most accurate statement is “There’s more to it than what is on the surface.” We do not have enough information to come to a conclusion.
Yes, the whole thing is a mess, but how much weight can we give to someone who admits to his biases? “The college is a joke, and it harms the reputation of LSU as a whole.” Hardly an objective evaluation.
Suzanne Stauffer Lambert has offered some accusations related to my column. I will attempt to answer them.
#1 – My facts are correct. I have linked to many articles, and I have much more valid and significant information not released to the public. I believe Dr. Buchanan is the victim of a witch hunt, and I will continue to defend her until proven otherwise.
#2 – I will stand 100 % behind the statement: “the faculty hearing committee said she had done nothing to warrant dismissal, despite the salty language. They called for remediation not termination.” This is EXACTLY what happened.
#3 – I admit to my biases and make no claims to objectivity, as does Louisiana Voice and Tom Aswell. In fact, my website is titled “Talk About The South: An Opinion Blog.” My opinion. Period. I am an executive board member of the LA AAUP. I have consistently been a voice for higher ed for years. I have given money to every AAUP-backed LA suit that I know of. I have denounced the governor on the steps of the capitol. I have never met Buchanan face to face. I write opinion pieces. I am proudly biased, and I will continued to be biased. I never say anything otherwise. Let me add, I have raised a lot of money for cases of fired professors, and I will continue to do so. And I have privileged information from many sources, plenty of it.
Furthermore, my letter was the FIRST letter published in The Advocate to save LSU’s School of Library and Information Science from the chopping block (I had op-eds on the topic and letters statewide.). I made HUNDREDS of contacts fighting the closure of SLIS, Lambert’s department at LSU. In many ways, my bias helped save her job and the entire department. I don’t expect a thank-you anytime soon.
Three questions for Lambert:
#1 – Why did you not say in your comment above that you work for the LSU College of Human Sciences and Education?
#2 – Why did you NOT say in your comment above that you work under Dean Damon P.S. Andrew and that your future advancement depends on his good wishes?
#3 – Why do you cast stones accusing people of bias when you have your own economic and professional future to protect? Is this a conflict of interest? Could there be a little “objectivity” at stake?
What have I said that is not factual?
“The official reason given is that she was fired for sexual harassment and creating a hostile learning environment.” See “LSU breaks its silence” http://theadvocate.com/news/12806314-65/lsu-breaks-its-silence-on
“The faculty committee recommended censure, not “remediation.” :
“In pursuing Buchanan’s termination, LSU Chancellor and President F. King Alexander dismissed the recommendations of a committee of five faculty members, who suggested the education professor keep her job but receive a letter of censure. . . The committee concluded Buchanan had created a “hostile learning environment” that amounted to sexual harassment but focused only on her “use of profanity, poorly worded jokes, and sometimes sexually explicit jokes in her teaching methodologies.”” http://theadvocate.com/news/12806314-65/lsu-breaks-its-silence-on
“While the committee found that her adult language and humor violated university policies that protect students and employees from sexual harassment, it found no evidence Buchanan’s comments were “systematically directed at any individual.”
The committee recommended she be censured and agree to quit using “potentially offensive language and jokes” that some found offensive.” http://theadvocate.com/news/12669113-123/lsu-professor-fired-for-using
Censure is not remediation. Remediation is not censure.
You can hardly argue that you did not state that “There’s more to it than what is on the surface” and you admit that you are biased, so what have I said that is not factual? That the whole thing is a mess? It is. There is more to it than is being reported.
To be technical, I work for the School of Library and Information Science. Given that my comments dealt only with factual errors, not a defense of the administration, how is my place of employment relevant? How are facts “biased?”
Why did you not reveal in your column that you are an executive board member of LA AAUP?
How did it strengthen your case to misrepresent the facts? It’s hardly necessary to present Buchanan as a paragon without flaws.
We did thank all of our supporters at the time, but it never hurts to repeat it. Thank you, Dayne, for helping to save SLIS. Thank you to all of the thousands of alumni and friends who sent e-mails and letters and made phone calls to the Board of Supervisors and the Regents. Thank you to the professional associations — LLA, ALA, SAA, and others — to the heads of other LIS programs in the country who also sent letters of support. It was truly a massive, joint effort.
Let me be clear, Dr. Lambert, I have multiple sources, several of them primary sources. You have one source: Charles Lussier of The Advocate. You don’t even know what the “facts” are because you are only using one secondary source from one writer. My ties to AAUP are not the issue. I make no claims of lack of bias or even objectivity, which is nonsense to most thinking adults. You, however, accuse me of bias while failing to say that you are one of the employees of Dean Andrews. I did not misrepresent the facts. I have the facts, which are based on primary sources. You have Charles Lussier.
I bet my bottom dollar that all of the following people have dropped the f-bomb at least once on LSU’s campus.
Buchanan, Teresa $68,316.00, 20 years at LSU, (former) Associate Professor (My check’s in the mail to support your legal battle, BTW)
Andrew, Damon, $213,300.00, 2 years at LSU, her Dean (“I have to make the hard decisions”)
Monaco, A G, $207,813.00, 4 years at LSU, Head of HR (“I have to make the hard decisions”)
Bell, Stuart, $364,208.00, 3 years at LSU, (former) Provost (“I look forward to making the hard decisions with Nick Saban in my new position as prez of U Alabama”)
Miles, Les, $Millions, 10 years at LSU, Head Coach (“Proud to say my f-bomb was on national TV and forever preserved on video on youtube. Just google Les Miles Gets Emotional – 11/17/12. The fans, many of whom are LSU undergrads, loved it!”)
Harold, I tried to email you, but it bounced back as undeliverable. I would love to talk to you to explore this subject in greater detail for a possible investigative story or series of stories. Your real identity will be protected and your name will never be revealed. Please email me (with your correct email address and/or phone number) at Louisianavoice@yahoo.com or LouisianaVoice@cox.net
Thanks.
Tom
How can I say no to someone who I beleive should be appointed our state’s Blogger Laureate? But I will wait until you’ve completed your current book because I don’t want to distract you from that ultra important work.
If you want to experience physical violence, verbal violence, public shaming, sexual intimidation and the general devaluation of human worth all you need to do is attend a LSU athletic practice. The coaches and staff are well verse making the practice field a hostile environment. To the general observer it makes sense. After all they don’t want wimps come game night. It’s twisted, So why doesn’t the administration apply its high moral standard to every corner of the campus? If you answer sexual politics you would be right. Louisiana still values tough men and meek women.
Exactly, Lindsey. Is there anyone out there who does not think that if Les Miles drops the f-bomb during a nationally televised news conference that he doesn’t do the same frequently when the cameras are off? Or that when the application of someone named F. King Alexander went around the table a couple of years ago at the LSU Board of Supervisors that those good ol’ boys did not crack a few f-bomb jokes? Or that VPs who work under someone named F. King Alexander don’t do so when they disagree with him? Or that one of the most used words in the English language is not uttered several thousand times per day on the LSU campus by plumbers, managers, students, and profs? As Margot Herster tweeted when the story broke, “disparity from LSU practice re: other cases, eg faculty/admin misappropriation of student $ + discrim makes this fishy.” When we do find out what Teresa Buchanan really had her tenure revoked for it will surely be because something she said or did threatened some managers’ gravytrain.
It sure seems like Dr. Buchanan is being railroaded. Thanks for showing her some support. May she prevail!
A male teach-for-America math teacher at a high school in Louisiana drops the F-bomb in a 4th period class full of at-risk kids. Once it is reported, he gets reassigned to Concession Stand cleanup duty duty while a more experienced veteran teacher takes over his difficult 4th period math class for the remainder of the semester. Two years later, a female veteran art teacher (& Union member who tries to keep administration accountable) at the same school drops the F-bomb in her impossible 4th period class. She gets fired. There is no justice anywhere & politics is everywhere!
“Typically only tenured professors have access to any due process. Tenure track, lecturers, instructors, staff, and adjuncts are at-will employees with no protection unless they are discriminated against for First Amendment or EEOC-protected reasons (For example, a Jewish woman being fired for speaking out against campus crime would be illegal, tenure or no tenure).”
You can’t fire her for being Jewish, but if she doesn’t have tenure, you can fire her for complaininng about campus crime.
LSIS grad and lawyer
Wikipedia lists F. King Alexander as having an MS. degree at the University of Oxford, with no reference cited. Does his CV? Is there misrepresentation?
Here’s a look at his CV on the blog site of his harshest critic, Brian Alan Lane:
http://thugthebook.blogspot.com/2013/04/five-kings-new-clothes.html
Lane picks Alexander’s CV apart from beginning to end, but I don’t see a challenge of his Oxford degree.
It is interesting that LSU has removed or moved his CV at its website.
Not sure where is degree is from, but here’s a link to a LouisianaVoice archive story from 2013 about his connection with an outfit called the Oxford Round Table. Its only connection to the university is that the round table holds its conferences there but is otherwise not connected to Oxford. The round table merely capitalizes on the Oxford name.
https://louisianavoice.com/2013/03/19/lsu-president-designate-alexander-runs-organization-that-capitalizes-on-oxford-university-name-despite-no-affiliation/
Lack of due process sounds like the state dental board……
Thank you for your support of the LSU School of Library and Information Science. I worked at the School from 1983-1993 and it has been an important program for the people of the state.
The program in which I teach now–School of Information at University of South Florida–is in the College of Arts and Sciences which seems a better fit.
If there is a CBA faculty have a different route to defend speech.