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Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern The George-Anne Student Media 5-16-1996 The George-Anne Georgia Southern University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/george-anne Part of the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Georgia Southern University, "The George-Anne" (1996). The George-Anne. 1426. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/george-anne/1426 This newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Media at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in The George-Anne by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GOLD EDITION Thursday, May 16,1996 Vol.69, No. 14 The c> Rave movie reviews ^^4M(l Georgia Southern University's Official Student Newspaper Statesboro, Georgia 30460 Founded 1927 The G-A movie critic gives the new Steven Spielberg movie "Twister" the thumbs-up sign. More allegations surface in English department By Justin Miller Swartz was fired from GSU in Janu- Please see story, page 7 Assistant News Editor me he didn't know how I could go about matter because he is forbidden to dis- ary of 1994. She said she was hired as appealing the decision," Swartz said. cuss any matters concerning a person's Following a week of controversy sur- a tenure-track professor in 1993 as a Swartz said, then acting Dean of employment. rounding the English and philosophy joint developmental studies/Engilsh the College of Liberal Arts and Social Swartz said she appealed the deci- department, more allegations have sur- professor, but was told after one quar- Sciences, Leo Parrish, repealed the sion again through Nichols, Parrish, faced. ter that she would be let go. firingbecause Nichols did not follow GSU President Nicholas Henry and Wayne County rescinds An ex-faculty member within GSU's Prior to her firing, she said she had department procedure of surveying the Board of Regents. Finally, she English and philosophy department has been told by faculty she should work to the department's tenured faculty. appealed the decision to the Equal Em- anti-gay resolution accused the department of being too ployment Opportunity Commission, restrictive on professors. The Associated Press who investigated the matter. "There is no academic freedom in "THERE IS NO ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN THE [ENGLISH AND According to a letter signed by JESUP, Ga. — Commissioners in ru- the [English and philosophy] depart- PHILOSOPHY] DEPARTMENT. IT IS RUN LIKE A GOOD OLD Mustafa A. Aziz, administrator of the ral southeast Georgia's Wayne County ment. It is run like a good old boys Georgia Commission on Equal Oppor- rescinded their 2-year-old anti-gay reso- network," said Patti Swartz, who is BOYS NETWORK. tunity, the faculty recommended that lution amid concerns about losing their currently teaching at Morehead State Swartz's contract not be renewed be- leg of the Olympic torch run. University in Kentucky. PATTI SWARTZ EX-FACULTY MEMBER cause of her "refusal to follow the grad- The path of the torch was re-routed Several professors within the de- ing system of the university." around Cobb County, an Atlanta sub- partment, who spoke only on condition keep her grades low or she might be in However, Nichols immediately sur- Swartz said the letter also stated urb, after gay activists vowed to disrupt of anonymity, said they agreed with jeopardy of being fired, which she felt veyed the tenured faculty, and the de- that she was giving "higher grades to the event to protest a similar anti-gay Swartz. According to some, the posting was contradictory to the Faculty Hand- cision to fire Swartz was reinstated. students whose classroom performance ordinance there. Cobb County also lost of teachers' grades is used as a tactic to book, section A, number 6, which reads, Parrish was also unavailable for com- did not meet the standard level for the its Olympic volleyball events. force professors into conforming to the "The arbitrary assignment of a fixed ment at press time. grades given." About 300 people packed the Wayne department's standards rather than percentage of students to each grade Swartz alleges that Nichols did not According to the investigation, County courtroom before the 3-2 vote, used to try to develop and improve the level is an unacceptable practice." ask for her and her students' work, nor Swartz's students, though passing the most of them supporters of the resolu- department and its faculty. However, according to Swartz, her was any given to the faculty. Further- class, were not passing the develop- tion, which condemned gay lifestyles as Some said they even believe these faculty mentor, Betsy Nichols, never more, Swartz said that Nichols only mental studies exit exam. illegal and "incompatible" with commu- tactics instilled fear in some faculty to told her that there was a problem. sent a memo to the tenured faculty that The commission also said they could nity standards. the point of being afraid of losing their "I was even told by [Learning Sup- started with, "you all know how I feel not discuss any investigation of an 'We feel like the stand for the truth jobs. port department chair] Curtis Ricker about Patti Swartz," which she said employment appeal, because it is con- and family values is more important "You can't disagree in that depart- that my work was fine," Swartz said. was unfair and unprofessional. fidential. than a flame coming through our town ment without feeling some sort of retri- Neither Betsy Nichols or Ricker were "Not surprisingly, with no materials Swartz said she was told by the for just a day," said the Rev. Jack Lee, bution," Swartz said. available for comment at press time. from me and this statement on the part developmental studies department that pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in However, other faculty members, Immediately following her firing, of [Nichols], the tenured faculty made her prompts for the exit exams were Jesup. who also wished to have their names Swartz said she appealed the decision comments like 'she gives out A's like too difficult and specific as well. Although the Atlanta Committee for withheld, said the allegations were to- and was met with problems from the canapes,' and one faculty member said She also said that while the depart- the Olympic Games declined to speak tally unfounded and that they never start. he didn't like the way I dressed," Swartz ment average for students exiting the specifically on Wayne County's ordi- felt any pressure at any time to con- "[James] Nichols [chair of the En- said. program was about 40 percent, her nance, a spokesman has said the torch form to any sort of grading standard. glish and philosophy department] told Nichols said he couldn't discuss the average was 80 percent. could have bypassed the county if the ordinance were allowed to stand. Wayne County Commission Chair- man James Thomas, the lone dissenter Williams indicted on four counts when the county approved the resolu- By Joshua Edmonson Ken Brown, director of pub- Brown said the indictment C&M plays Rotunda tion two years ago, had warned it would Senior Staff Writer lic safety, said the indictment is only the beginning. bring trouble. Two new commissioners A grand jury of 18 people process went smoothly. "The grand jury is basically r voted with Thomas this time. indicted Beverly Williams, the "Richard Mallard, senior there to see if there is reason to former secretary in the stu- assistant district attorney, pre- believe that the case should be dent affairs office, May 7 on sented the case to the grand pursued further and tried in WORD OF THE DAY charges of stealing fraternity jury and our two investigators, criminal court," Brown said. and sorority money. Capt. Buddy Peaster and Lt. Now that the indictment has oofle o. the attempt to find out the Williams was charged with been handed down, Williams name of a person whose name you four counts of theft by taking will appear before a superior should know but cannot remember between May 1, 1991 and "IT WAS A PRETTY court judge for arraignment. March 4, 1996. "At some point, people could CLEAR-CUT CASE." She was charged with the Source: Weird Words plead guilty or not guilty at an first count of theft by taking — LT. GUY SHARP arraignment," Brown said. for the $52,053.14 that was "But, generally, the rule is that taken from the Panhellenic it proceeds on to a trial or a BORO WEATHER Council account. Guy Sharp, testified and it went plea date where the person ei- The second charge of theft well with no problems," Brown ther pleas guilty or not guilty." by taking covered the said. Brown said the case should $48,656.20 that Williams al- Sharp said the case went as be handled within the next six legedly took from the they expected. months. Panhellenic rush account. "It was a pretty clear-cut "We are very confident in Williams received a third case," Sharp said. "When you our case," Brown said. charge of theft by taking for have your name on the front "I think that our case is the $9,887.53 stolen from the and back side of a 128 docu- strong enough that if we don't Interfraternity Council ac- ments, it doesn't leave a lot of get a guilty plea, then surely count. room for doubt." we would be able to convince The fourth charge of theft Peaster said that after they 12 people that she did steal the Mike Spilker by taking was levied for the obtained the bank accounts and money." Students on their way to classes yesterday enjoyed the Today $3,100 the Williams allegedly documents, there was no doubt The district attorney's of- music of Curnutte & Maher, who performed in the Union Mostly sunny with highs in the upper took from the Greek Week ac- that Williams had stolen the fice declined to comment on Rotunda from 11 a.m.