| Viewing Single Post From: Blog and Media Roundup - Thursday, July 2, 2009 | |
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| abb | Jul 2 2009, 05:28 AM |
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http://www.newsobserver.com/executive_privilege/story/1592039.html The News & Observer Published: Jul 02, 2009 05:39 AM Modified: Jul 02, 2009 05:40 AM Easley was fired after controversy over her job. SHAWN ROCCO, Staff photo by Shawn Rocco N.C. State Interim Chancellor Jim Woodward replaced James Oblinger, who resigned. Woodward supported Easley's firing and will not be part of the grievance process. SHAWN ROCCO, Staff photo by Shawn Rocco Easley's appeal may be doomed Chancellor says N.C. State does not have the money to offer the former first lady a settlement. BY ERIC FERRERI, Staff Writer N.C. State University is highly unlikely to negotiate a settlement with former first lady Mary Easley, who earlier this week indicated she will appeal her firing, the university's new leader said Wednesday. NCSU does not have the money to pay any settlement, Interim Chancellor James Woodward said in a meeting with editors and reporters at The News & Observer. He added that he stands behind his decision to eliminate Easley's position. Easley had come under pressure last year when she was given a five-year, $850,000 contract to run a speakers series and create a public safety leadership center. But she was fired this spring after disclosures in The N&O that her job was pushed by her husband, former Gov. Mike Easley, and orchestrated at the highest levels of state government. Woodward said Wednesday that Easley that "had to know" that her husband, one of his top aides and a member of the university's Board of Trustees played a role in the creation of her job. "I think she was well aware of the efforts made on her behalf to get her a new job and a new contract," Woodward said. "And those efforts were highly inappropriate." Easley's attorney, Marvin Schiller, who notified NCSU earlier this week that Easley intends to appeal her firing, declined comment Wednesday. Easley's appeal will be heard first by a faculty committee, which normally would make a recommendation to the chancellor. But because Woodward has publicly supported Easley's termination, he will not be involved in the grievance process, he said Wednesday. A committee of trustees, new members who were not involved in the firing, will then review the recommendation, Woodward said. Woodward replaced James Oblinger, who resigned last month as it became apparent that he repeatedly misrepresented his role in Easley's hiring. He also negotiated a deal, subsequently scrapped, that would have paid former Provost Larry Nielsen $310,255 more over the next three years than a salary commensurate with other faculty in the College of Natural Resources, where Nielsen will teach. Nielsen had said repeatedly that he alone had decided to hire Mary Easley in 2005. Nielsen resigned in May amid questions about his role in her job. Nielsen will receive six months of pay at $298,700, his annual pay as provost. Then his pay drops to $156,715, which is in line with the other faculty. Though Woodward quickly invalidated the deal Oblinger created for Nielsen, he nonetheless Wednesday defended the decision to allow both former administrators to retain tenure, continue to earn their administrative salaries for six months after leaving their posts, and return to teaching. "Once you get tenure, it should be extremely hard to take away," he said. He said their actions did not rise to that level. While he knows that former Gov. Easley helped orchestrate the creation of Mary Easley's NCSU job in 2005, Woodward said he can't find evidence of a quid pro quo. "I can't see where N.C. State got anything as a result of that," he said. "What could the governor do that could bring some short-term benefit to N.C. State? I can't identify anything." eric.ferreri@newsobserver.com or 919-932-2008 From the interview: N.C. State's Interim Chancellor James Woodward said: •One of his immediate tasks is to restore the morale of the university community. "They're terribly embarrassed; they're mad at those they feel are responsible," he said. "One of my goals has been to help them re-focus on the work that they do." •He supports a closed search for his successor and said the university is likely gunning for a president or chancellor at a public university. "Successful sitting presidents at major universities cannot let themselves be seen looking for other jobs," he said. A search committee is being assembled, and a consultant will likely be hired within weeks, he said. •That the Easley saga, ugly as it is, may have a silver lining. "This is a big problem for us in the short term," he said. "It will be better for us in the long term, because it has forced a review of a lot of things." Related Content * Read previous stories about Mary Easley's job and our Executive Privilege series |
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| Blog and Media Roundup - Thursday, July 2, 2009 · DUKE LACROSSE - Liestoppers | |
10:31 AM Nov 25
