Board Considers Sexual Orientation C Ause Protest Disrupts Meeting '
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urren NNIN G STUDENT V O I CE OF UM- ST. L OUIS Board considers sexual orientation c ause Protest disrupts meeting '. as Curators implement · order into system policy . .. .. ~ .. ,,', ,,',',' : BY SUE BRITT " .: .'. " . ~ .. ~ " . staff associate . : :. :~ '.: .~ :: ',' .',; : ', The Board of Curators voted Friday at UM-St. Louis I~ I . ,': ...... : :': ': . ,, ' . ,' to make executive order three into system policy, eliciting . :: : ~ . ~ :. :. .'. .'. '" ' .' ~. a protest from some students who said the order does not go fa:r enough to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation. "The policy [executive order three] was established to create a positive work environment and to enable all mem bers of the University community to effectively perform their work 0, to achieve their educational goals," said Manuel Pacheco, President of the UM system. "It was intended to include all legal categories of nondiscrimina . tion as well as other types of discrimination, including that based on sexual orientation." Pacheco said that a committee was put in place to study the issue of including sexual orientation into the anti-discrimination policy. Public hearings were held Nov. 13 at Columbia wherein fac ul ty, staff, and students from all four campuses addressed the commit Stephanie Platt/ 17Ie Current tee in person and hundreds more commented through let UM-St. Louis Director of Institutional Safety Robert Roeseler confronts prot esters as t hey disrupt the Board of ter, e-mail, fax, and telephone. Pacheco said that after Curators' meeting Friday. The protesters, upset over t he Board's decision 0 11 a pro posed sexual orient ation reviewing all that was submitted, the executive committee clause for the UM system anti-discrimination policy, were eventually led from t he room by police. held a telephonic meeting on Dec. 1 to discuss the issue. Pacheco said that the committee asked him to present the Board with his recommendations which included mak ing an extended version of executive order three imo pol Curators pass fee hike package icy. The order reads, in part, that the University should BY D A V I D BAU G HER In addition, the Board approved minor increases in the provide an environmem "where all individuals are treated ' ~ '''''' ''' ' '' '' '' ' ' '''''''' ' ' .... ---- ............................. ..... .......... .... , .. ..... .. ................ .. ............ ... _.. with respect, regardless of their status." se ni or e d ito r student activiry and student service fe es as recommended by . P4checo &lid mjlt .one of rJte criti~ f executive The UM Board of Curarors gave final approval ro a pack SGA leaders. At the December SGA meeting, the SGA was order three was that it could be struck down by a future age of fee in reases at its Friday meeting on campus; the unable to come to a consensus on a recommendation for the president. Making the order in to polic ' eliminates that package will increase student fees by approximately S.l % for two fees with Ben Ash, SGA comptroller, favoring small possibility. Other additions to the order included proce the average full-time UM-St. Louis studem. increases whilt: Jim Avery, SGA president, hoped w keep the dures to make the poli cy more broadly distributed, train TIle propDsal, which passed the Board unanimously, will fees where (hey were after large increases for the 1998-99 fis ing programs, and a spelling out in the policy of the griev bring the fees for a stud ,nt taking L credit hours from cal y(;ar. In January, SGA recommended a two-cem increa.se ance procedures. $270.60 w $284.40. In addition to a 20- em per redit hour in the studem ac tivity fee and a three-cent increase in the Stu jump in [he recrea ion fee and a 45 -cent pt:r credit hour rise "Training programs devised wi th the ad ice from the dent service fee. T he Board pas, ed both recommendations. in the athletics fee, there was also an adjustment of tht Equiry Access Council includes four modules)" Pacheco At [he December meeting, the SGA did nOt make any rec H ealth Services fee. said. "Racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, sexual ommendation on the rest of the fee package because irs lead orientation, and disability awareness." T he fee, formerly coUe ted as a $9.00 fiat rate expense per ers sai d that the University administration did nOt meet semester, was changed to an $] .20 per cr dit hour fee . This SGA's timelines in presenting its proposal. During the discussions fo ll owing Pacheco's report to the Board, it was asked if this policy would be proa tive, am o~nts to a 60% increase for an ilyerage full-time UM- t. The Board made no changes to the $9.65 U niversiry Louis student. Center fee . TI1C fee ma re than doubled last year. and Pacheco responded that it was time to move forward to eliminate harassment and assured everyone that the pol icy would be enforced. Also in the discussion CuratOr Paul Steele discussed his views in opposition to making executive order three into board policy. "$e;.,:ual orientation is a private matter or it should be a Viva IT Papa private matter, a personal inner matter, and I believe-it should rel1!ain that way," Steele said. "And I believe that UM-St. Louisans we should nor cominue to add to this list." were among t he Within the meeting im mediately foU owing the decision faithful gathered a student from U M-Columbia, Dean Anderson, shamed to see Pope John Out, "Full inclusion. Nothing less." Paul II at Kiel Others began chanting, "Inclusion now." Center as part of The group of students protesting the decision was his swing removed from the meeting and then continued their throught St. protest in the hallway outside the meeting doors for a peri Louis. For a full od of time. Protesters then continued to espouse their photo ~ssa y of position outside the ].c. Pel1l!e' Building. Tim Peacock, the pontiff ' s visit vi ce-president of the Lesbian, Gay, BiseA'U al Students for and the campus' Change complained th:1t the Curators did not go far connection see page 6. en ough and that executive order three did not specific;lliy list sexual orientation as a prOtected group, unlike Other groups who are specifically listed in under the system's anti-discrimination clause. Photos by "[The decision is] a load of something," Peacock said. Stephanie "All the other things [included in the ami-discrimination clause J are delineated, and they ne ed to delin eate this Platt see DISCRIMINATION, page 8 Desegregation forum to start African-American Hislorv Month BY JOE HARRIS .. __ .... _ .... ... - . .. History Mom h theme. "The Legacy of Afri can-Ameri can of the lives of the many Women she has kn WIl. senior editor Leadership for the Pre em and the FutU re." "I Am a Man" is a play about the black Sanitation workers' The UM-Sr. Louis Office of Equal O pponunity "ill kick "I don't see wh), a n ~'o ne wou!ci n Ot rake pan," N nnan to union strike in Memphis and [he historical eVents leadinoo- off Africall-AmenCa I1 History Month ronight at 7:30 p.m. Seay, director ' f the Office of E q u ~J O pportunity, said. "Black D r. Martin Luther Ki ng's assassi.nation. Robert Himes, direc- with a roundtable discussion entitled "The D esegregation History M onrh is a ri me to refl ect upon a!l f rht connibu w r of [he Sr. Louis Black Repertory C ompany, along with cast Proposal: The Legacy of Ame ri can Leadership for thE Present ti ons A frica n-Ameri cans have made w society. It s an oppor members 'Wi ll pres ent the play. The room number has been and the Furure" at the]. C. Pe nney auditorium. tunity to seek role models." changed for th is event. The play ,viII now be held at 11 :30 a.l11 . The discussi on will be moderated by KSDK Channel Five The Office of Equal Opportunity is also sponsorin g three in 222 J. C. Penney on Feb. 22. education reporter Sharon Stevens. In addition to the round other events to celebrate African-American H iSt ory MOnth. "Slave N arran e" will cu lmina te Afri can-American Historv table discussion, Minnie L. LIddell and Dr. Everette E. Nance They are co-sponsoring "Rivers of \'{Io men" and "1 > m a month on f eb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the J. c. Penney auditoriun~. will be special guests. Lddell started the case Liddell vs. Board Man" ,,;ith the Cenrer for the Humanities, an d they are spon The St. Louis Black Repertory Company v;jJI present the play of Education that led the wa\' to dese[!Tegating St. Louis soring "Slave N arrative" performed by rhe St. LOllls 13lack and the llM-St. Louis crospel choH' will perform as well. schools. Nance is the dean of the UM-Sr. Louis Evenin g Repertory Company. Seay wants students to know that everyone not just College. "Rivers of X· o l11en" 1'. ~11 also take place today at n OOn i.i.1 African ~ A m er i c a n students, are invited to th e s~ eve'nts. The discussion will link the currem de,c:gregation proposal 229 J. c. Penney. UM-St. Louis professor and internationally currently being debated ',\~th this Ye.n's Afri can-American known poet, Shirl ey Le Flore will presenr ;J. look at the tcxrure see MONTH, page 8 ." Page 2 iEo£ (!:urrent February 1, 1999 c·.. ........... ..... .......... .................. .. - .. .... .... ............................. .................... - "! U M St.