Professor Sues UM for Breach of Contract
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vlfje jftttamt $umcant> ' • .Since 1927^ VOLUME 70, NUMBER 6 CORAL GABLES. FLORIDA TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29.1992 INSIDE Professor sues UM for breach of contract By ANNETTE GALLAGHER Dee denied those allegations, say "He was never terminated," Staff Writer ing that the salary stemmed from Dee said. "private settlement discussions Irwin Kruger, a 61-year-old pro between Kruger and the Universi Employee Benefits, citing com fessor in the Computer Information ty." puter problems, could neither con Systems Department, is suing the firm nor deny the existence of the University of Miami for discrimina Jack Borsting, a former dean of letter. tion, fraud, harassment, defama the School of Business Administra tion and several counts of breach of tion, is charged with defamation in When he tried to return to work,' contract. the complaint. Kruger said he was told to stay "The essence of my problem is home and rest. He was permitted "Borsting said I had AIDS," Kru to return to work in January of this that the University was hoping I ger said. would die before they had to pay year, but at a salary that he claims Borsting was unavailable for is one-half that of anyone else in his for a Uver transplant," Kruger comment. said. department, despite being with Kruger needed a Uver transplant UM since 1970. Kruger said that, in 1985, he to alleviate his condition but he contracted Uver disease from a alleges that he was told the trans Upon returning to UM, Kruger blood transfusion. Kruger said he plants are not covered by the Uni said that he was not permitted to continued teaching until 1988, versity health insurance policy. teach: "They assigned me to sit when a bleeding ulcer required ting down and doing nothing." emergency hospitalization and "There was not such a benefit eKruger was permitted to return forced him to stop. initially, but Blue Cross got back to to his teaching duties on June 20, us and approved the procedure," and filed suit against UM in the His complaint alleges that UM Samuel Greenfeder, who was Dade County Circuit Court on June attempted to place Kruger on disa director of Employee Benefits at 22. bility in order to avoid paying his the time, said. salary while he was ill, a practice UM, which is being represented he claims is standard UM proce Kruger said that he had to obtain by a law firm from Atlanta, denied dure for tenured faculty. legal counsel in order to get insur all of Kruger's allegations in a ance to cover his surgery. response filed in court. The Uni "He was paid for several years Kruger alleges he received a let versity immediately moved that whale he was Ul. There did come a the suit be placed in federal court period of time when we believed he ter saying his employee health ben should go on disability," said Paul efits had been ended due to his ter instead of state, where it was filed. Dee, UM vice president and gener mination by the University. Joel Stutz, chairman of Comput al counsel. Greenfeder denies sending any er Information Systems and Luis LILLIANE SUBIRATS/Staff Photogr(»pher such letter and the University Glaser, UM executive vice presi Kruger also charges the Univer denies Kruger was fired. dent and provost, had no comment. LEGAL BATTLE: Professor Irwin Krueger, a com sity with fraud regarding his salary puter information systems professor, is suing the Lawrence Phillips, former dean of CLOSE ONE of $31,600 which Kruger claims "I do not recall ever sending the business school, was unavail University. has not been raised since 1985. such a letter," he said. able for comment. The UM football team came within a foot of losing their first game in the Orange Bowl in seven years. Voter registration THE WAITING GAME • Sport* — pege 8 deadline nearing By JUDITH MOREL Staff Writer With the Oct. 3 deadline to register for the Novem SINGING SENSATION ber election less than a week away, elections officials in Dade County are stressing how easy it is to regis ter. Sophomore Yvonne Arana, a Puerto "If you need to register, all you have to do is call Rican singing star, has already had a the [Dade Countyl Elections Office taste of the limelight. and give a clerk yoor They ei1l1 i«tell l you the location closest to your home," Milton Cojlins, assistant supervisor of elections, • Accent — pege 6 said. There 529 registration sites in the county. Dade County requires a person to be at least 18 years of age, a NEWSBRIEFS United States citizen and a resident ri CPTinil 'Q0°f the county in order to register. LIXU I lull QL Patricia Graves, voter registra- Blood drive begins •••••••••• tion outreach training assistant, said the only thing needed to be A university-wide blood drive will be held this week considered a resident of the county is an address; this to help replenish the Red Cross's supply includes college dormitories. Due to Hurricane Andrew, many community orga "The address of a dormitory is valid proof of resi nizations and businesses have canceled scheduled dency," Graves said. She cautioned, however, that if an out-of-state student registers in Dade County, reg blood drives. Now the Red Cross has declared a blood J.C. RIDLEY / Special to The Hurricane shortage. The area Red Cross provides an average istration in their home state will automatically be can 500 pints of blood daily to 66 health care institutions celed. YOUR TURN: UM students Jim Collins and Andrew Phillips entertain themselves with a game of Candy in South Florida. Once a student returns to his or her home state Land while waiting to buy guest passes for the FSU game on Saturday. Students slept out Sunday they can re-register there and their Dade registration William Butler, vice president for Student Affairs, will automatically be canceled as well, she said. night with the hopes of getting one of the 500 tickets available. said the efforts ol volunteers need to be continued. According to statistics provided by the Elections Office, as of July 6, there were 66,837 registered vot "I am now asking for your help in another way," ers between the ages of 18 and 24 in Dade County. Butler said "As vital as are decent housing and plenti The Elections Department sets up registration Recycling bins take up parking spots ful jobs to a healthy and economically sound South booths in a variety of shopping malls two weeks prior Florida so too is a strong community blood program." to the closing date. All sites are run by volunteers. By JULIUS WHIGHAM seeable. We'd Like to get everyone 30 days. Donations can be given frqjm 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Graves said. Independent groups may also hold regis Assistant News Editor used to the idea that the cans are "There could be other places," Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and until 1 p.m. on Oct. 2 at Brock tration drives she added. Students in the Apartment Area there and to use them," Weber he said. "Building 44,1 would like way Hall in the Otto G. Richter Library. Organizations such as Student Government, the not only find themselves competing said. to build a recycling area there. College Democrats and the CoUege Republicans have for spaces with other students, but It is important that everyone, Building 33, the grass area by the For more information contact William Sandler, Mahoney-Pearson parking lot are dean of students, at 284-5353. also held voter registration drives on campus through now some of the parking spaces students included, participate in out the semester. are being occupied by recycling the University's efforts to increase being considered," he said. recycling, Weber said. —PAMELA WILFINGER According to Graves, any person who registers in bins. It also possible that they would Florida must specify a party affiliation when doing so. "We're not wild about taking Students, however, say parking remain in the Apartment Area but "If you don t note an affiliation you cannot vote in spaces. [The recycling bins] were their cars is also important. would be placed in the general any primary elections or any other partisan elections. placed there for a number of rea "We need more parking spaces vicinity of the parking lots and not Coffee machine stolen You can only vote on non-partisan issues and general sons," Alan Weber, landscape man on campus anyway. I really feel on the lots themselves, he said. elections," Graves said. Labeling oneself as an inde ager, said. they shouldn't be doing that," A Srhool of Nursing employee reported the theft of pendent is counted as a party affiliation, she added. The bins were placed in parking JaneUe Roessler, sophomore, said. "I would much rather have the a coffee machine and its cabinet located near their Registered voters who cannot make it to the polls spaces mainly because they pro "Maybe they should move them." bins there than not have them on office in the 1500 block of Brescia Avenue on Sept 23. can cast an absentee ballot. vide easy access for trucks to pick Other options are now being con campus. I'm not concerned about "Absentee ballots are only for those who are not them up and so they would be in a sidered to free up the parking spac four parking spaces," Matt Lewan- The coffee machine and cabinet were originally here or are infirmed for the election," Jim Kohanek, highly visible area, Weber said. es.