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) "GEEZ MAYOR, I GUESS THE STUDENTS JUST COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE" 71. (3/14/06) E-MAIL FROM JUSTINE NICHOLAS Justine Nicholas, the harassed, embarrassed, and recently fired adjunct Prof of English, is fighting back against a group of unethical LaGuardia administrators. The following e-mail from Ms. Nicholas outlines the kinds of lies a consortium of administrative lowlives will resort to in order to protect their self-interests – once again, at the expense of quality in education. Here is the e-mail: The incident that English Department Chair Dr. Sandra Hanson and her buddy Lynne Allston-Jackson orchestrated to get rid of me just after I came out [see Item #59] didn’t happen. Furthermore, it’s not evidence of any bigotry or harassment against me. President Mellow says so. Ms. Allston-Jackson never told her students who were also in my classes to complain about me to Dr. Hanson about my “sexuality.” Comments to that effect appeared on the Rate My Professors site. However, they are not evidence of any wrongdoing, according to my good friend Dr. Mellow. I e-mailed them to Affirmative Action Officer Irma Lynch-Patterson and she acknowledged receiving them. When Ms. Lynch-Patterson tried to pull them up during our interview, they were gone. So, she said, they never existed. They never existed. Thus, according to our college’s esteemed chief, there is no evidence of a conspiracy against me. Ms. Lynch-Patterson took no notes during our interview. The memo she wrote omitted my reason and basis for my complaint. But she was following the highest ethical principles and practicing the utmost professionalism. Who could judge such a thing better than Dr. Mellow? In January, Dr. Mellow declared the investigation into the complaints I made closed. That, after I had no opportunity to see the report Ms. Lynch-Patterson submitted to her. I have had my mental health questioned for daring to imply that someone who has a higher position than I could be acting with any sort of bias against me. Why, they all have gay sisters—why would they have anything against me? And some of their best friends are… I have received death threats. But I don’t have a PhD or tenure, so I don’t know the meaning of “death” or “threat”, right? (I have actually been told such things.) I guess they’re right because, well, gee, they really do know more than I, don’t they? And I imagined the sexual harassment I experienced, and the sexual assault I narrowly avoided, on my way out the M Building from a Friday night class in October. Yes, I have been told as much by an administrator of this college. So was a former student government president who had a similar experience. Two security guards escorted me to the subway station and waited until I boarded the train. But, hey, what do they know? They’re only guards. And I’m just an adjunct without a PhD. And transgendered. And Italian American. Therefore, I must not be as capable of making fine distinctions and reasoned judgments as the ones who run this college and their cronies. I really, really apologize from the bottom of my heart, with piss and vinegar on top, for having the impudence to speak out about my own experiences and those of others. I mean, really, there’s no class prejudice at LaGuardia. Or sexism. Or racism. Or anti-Italian American sentiment. Or anti-Semitism. Or homophobia, or transphobia. I mean, look at all of the rainbow flags flying from the college buildings. That means this school simply must be so diverse that everyone here has a parent, sibling, in-law, best friend, spouse or partner who is…. I am resting very well tonight with the knowledge that the President of this college has found no wrongdoing. Why, she even signed her name to a letter that says as much. And she sent it to little ol’ me! Hmm…. That letter might even help me buy a Metro Card! *************** 72. (3/20/06) SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR NEW LAGUARDIANS FROM JUSTINE NICHOLAS Has this college just hired you? Here’s a little survival guide for you! If you are a faculty member: This advice applies whether you’re full- or part-time, tenure-track or temporary. You will most likely enjoy working with the students here. Most fall into one or both of these two categories: the ones who are not proficient in English, and the ones who have shortcomings or gaps in their educations. However, most are willing to work and grateful for whatever help and guidance you can give them. The problem is that none of that matters in the eyes of those who run this college. If you enjoy teaching—as I and many others who have taught or are currently teaching in this college do—you will feel rewarded by your students and exasperated by the administration of this institution. That’s if you’re lucky. If you’re not so fortunate, this college could remind you of James Joyce’s description of his native Ireland: “a sow that eats its young.” This institution will exploit your willingness to work hard and, if you make any sort of constructive suggestions, will use your best qualities against you. If you are in any way inquisitive or outspoken, you will be admonished at first, then vilified. If you don’t back down, someone who has power (e.g., a high-level administrator or department chair) will initiate subterranean maneuvers to drive you out of this college and to destroy your professional reputation, and possibly your life. They will do this by orchestrating incidents in which you will be in the wrong, no matter how you respond. Then they will offer to forget about it if you write letters to assuage the feelings of those involved. But of course the incident won’t be forgotten, for you are a newbie and whoever staged the incident will have used his or her closest allies on campus to carry out the deed. The ones involved will claim that there are no hard feelings and say they actually like you because they empathize with you in some way (e.g., “My sister is…”). Other incidents will follow and if they can’t get rid of you outright, they’ll find ways to intimidate and harass you and to make working here untenable for you. If you are a staff member: Everything previously mentioned applies. And you will work without the respect of the administration of this college. They—and some senior faculty members—will talk about you behind your back. If a new faculty member says that he or she is having difficulty, some senior members will say things like, “Oh, it’s from one of the staff members, right?” For everyone who has just been hired: Although this place is called a “college,” you aren’t here to be a lady or gentleman and scholar. While you’re here, don’t think of yourself as being a member of the community of educated men and women. Instead of Radcliff, think Rikers. As a workplace, this college is governed by what I think of as the Rikers Mentality. The principles of RM go something like this: If you’re friendly, gentle, kind, polite or in any way a true unifier (as opposed to a Fascist or common-variety conformist), you are weak. If you are really interested in learning—whether about ideas or people—you are stupid. And stupidity and weakness are nearly synonymous. So you have a choice: You can remember why you decided to work in the world of education and follow it while you’re here. If you do, don’t expect to be here long. Or if you are, you will not be compensated, and you will incur all sorts of harassment and slander. Or, understanding what you’ve read here, you can choose to be as mendacious and spiritually violent as the ones who run this college and many of its departments. This may pre-empt some of this mistreatment you should otherwise anticipate. If it doesn’t, then you will lock yourself into the quicksand of escalation. One of the happier results of not teaching any longer at La Guardia is that I am free of that form of addiction. One more thing: If you should encounter difficulty, lots of people will voice sympathy for you. But few, if any, will actually help you. If your troubles have to do with continuing your employment here or getting a promotion, the union’s so-called representation at the college will do nothing to help you. And if you incur difficulties because you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered (forget that you saw those rainbow flags flying from the window!), don’t count LGBT faculty members as allies. Some, of course, are in the closet: That is their prerogative. But the ones who are out are interested only in promoting SAGA and their personal interests. And if you’re not a Chelsea Boy or an Anne Heche look-alike (or, if you’re transgendered and what that means finally occurs to them), they don’t want to know about you. Well, now that you know what I’ve said, you need to make some choices. Perhaps you’ll be able to do positive things for yourself and others. Maybe your students will have, in part as a result of your help, opportunities you or they never knew existed. And when you leave this place, you’ll have some positive memories—as I, for all of the difficulties I encountered, do. Just be careful not to be destroyed by the bigotry and pettiness you will find in too many quarters of this community. *************** 73. (3/28/06) REPLY TO JUSTINE NICHOLAS FROM A LAGUARDIA STAFF MEMBER The following is a reply from a member of the LaGuardia community to item #72. We omit the writer’s name for obvious reasons. As you read it, bear in mind that it is faculty and staff apathy that enables the continued existence of these abuses of power. In an academic gulag like LaGuardia, where practically everybody toes the line in constant fear that some vindictive screwball upstairs might at any random moment wreak irreparable damage on one's career, it is quite inspirational to see someone summon up the guts to speak out publicly, if anonymously, about our plight. Here is the reply: For Justine: I've worked in the CUNY system as a staff member both at Central Office and at LaGuardia for many years...don't ask me how I've lasted this long, because frankly I couldn't say....I DO know that every possible attempt has been made to 'get rid of' me, then vilify me, start ugly, sure to destroy one's reputation, type rumors. I just wanted to tell you that although I don't know much about your particular case, I fully empathize with all you've gone through and wanted you to know, as I believe you must, that you aren't alone. Others have been and are being targeted, harassed for one reason for another; often simply for not following the 'policy line'. Then there are those who are either excellent teachers or excellent administrators or support staff, but they don't fit the 'mold'. Thus, they are treated with disdain and disgust, made to feel "less than" and ignorant or unwanted, stupid. And you are SO on target about the trumped up 'situations' that those who are unfortunate enough to have been targeted find themselves in. In short, there's no way to win, at least initially. I do believe however that the more individuals who speak out, tell their story or the story of a colleague now gone, the more people outside the college/CUNY community will take notice. And for what it is worth, I DO believe that already in certain non-CUNY circles there ARE people taking notice, asking questions and raising their eyebrows at certain consistently 'odd' behaviors and happenings at LaGuardia in particular, but also at other CUNY colleges. It's the start, perhaps, of a ray of hope and the beginning of enlightenment. I can only say to you, that I wish you continued courage, good success in your efforts to find other employment and ultimately a work environment where your abilities are recognized, encouraged and permitted to flourish and are praised and rewarded, not used to beat you down. Good luck to you. And congratulations to you as well. For having the courage to stand up and speak out. Regards, *************** 74. (3/30/06) JUSTINE'S REPLY TO LAGUARDIA STAFF MEMBER Given what you’ve endured, I understand your desire to remain anonymous. Nonetheless, I thank you for speaking up about your experiences, and for the encouragement you’ve given me. It’s good to know that some people outside the college and university are beginning to understand what’s going on here. A few may have previously fallen for the smoke-and-mirrors campaigns that were passed off as real improvements to the college’s academic foundation. But, thankfully, most did not, and those who did are re-evaluating their perceptions. They know that bureaucratic infighting demoralizes even those staff and faculty members who aren’t involved and ultimately drains energy and resources from the classrooms, laboratories and libraries. Also: This college is financed mainly by taxpayers. When people fork over their hard-earned money, they don’t want it sucked into the snouts of bureaucratic monsters. They want it to go into the classrooms in which their kids may one day sit, or from which they may need to hire well-educated workers. They want to see their money used to recruit and retain those who will do the best job of preparing their kids for the future, whatever that may hold. Furthermore, many of our students—and their family members—see us as mentors and role models. What kind of examples are we setting when we’re engaging in pissing contests or getting caught in the crossfire of them? How can anybody believe that hard work and a positive attitude will pay off after seeing what he or she sees here? If we continue to speak up—even anonymously—word will get around. And then, hopefully, more people will demand answers, action and accountability rather than obfuscation, obstruction and evasion. Thanks again for the encouragement! *************** 75. (4/6/06) JUSTINE NICHOLAS ON BIGOTRY AT LAGUARDIA “Now you understand!” An African American friend—let’s call her Amanda—and I were talking about politics, art, academia and related topics. As one might expect, the conversation turned to race. She remembers well the so-called Black Power movement of the sixties and seventies. In retrospect, she says, “It was the worst thing that ever happened to us.” “Because it enabled white liberals to fetishize you.” Her eyes lit up. “Yes! They thought we were exotic and sexy so they gave us positions that looked good but didn’t mean anything. Then when they got used to us, their true colors showed.” “And ultimately it made them part of the ruling structure, and left you where you were.” Her jaw dropped. “And after you became yesterday’s news, the white liberal academics discovered Asian immigrants. They’re exotic now, and the white liberals like them because they don’t talk back.” “Exactly! How did you learn that?” I explained that to some degree, I gained the insights I now have as a result of things that have happened to me since I began my life as a woman. But, I said, the experience that has done most to clarify my vision and sharpen my focus is the three and a half years I spent at LaGuardia. “And you know,” Amanda related, “not only do we get hurt. White people who don’t have wealth and privilege get screwed, too. Yes, there are advantages to being white. But if you’re not one of the ruling class, life is difficult. And if you’re not of that class and not the ethnic or racial ‘flavor of the month,’ nobody wants to help you. Helping you wouldn’t help their image. And that’s all they care about.” To my knowledge, Amanda has never been anywhere near LaGuardia. But anybody, in or outside the college, would have been hard pressed to describe it any better. I have never been associated with any organization that touts its diversity more than this school, which bills itself as “The World’s Community College.” But how is that diversity used in any meaningful way in this college? You’ve got to admit, though: People who don’t know any better are dazzled when they come to this college and see students from every part of the world. They think that being in the school must be an enriching experience, what with the Elbonian Students’ Club Dinner and the Megalomanian Cultural Society’s Dance and such. Visitors believe that this college is an incubator for new, enlightened professionals who will work in the New World Economy. However, those who’ve worked for any amount of time, and incurred the treatment this college routinely accords hard-working, talented people, see a completely different picture of this school. Such a picture, if someone were to paint it, would resemble something described by Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer: “a smile, as tight as a gag, holding a scream inside.” Underneath the serene façade this college likes to present to the world churn currents of anger and distrust. And the administration of this college and many of its departments do everything they can to perpetrate this status quo. When I was still teaching at LaGuardia, I received a number of e-mails like the one reprinted in item #73 above. They all described situations in which they were harassed, abused or had false accusations made against them. A former faculty member of this college related a similar story to me. Still others told me their tales in person. In all cases, they said that the college’s affirmative action, human resources, labor relations and union representation misrepresented their cases. They pointed out the errors, misrepresentations, omissions and outright lies that emanated from those offices. The results were retaliation, or threats of it. Still other former faculty—and current staff—members told me they’d borne abuse similar to what others described, but did not protest. They’d heard the stories of what happened to those who did, and feared the consequences. All of these stories had another striking similarity. The people relating them all could show that their race, ethnicity or some other aspect of their identity was a factor in their mistreatment. The blacks said that there were insinuations that they were “Oreos”—black outside, but white inside—from officers of this college who also happened to be African American. Others—who were Italian or Jewish Americans, and thus not part of the “old boys’ network”—felt they’d experienced outright racism. Think back to what Amanda said: A white administration wants to keep the status quo but keep up politically correct appearances. So it hires blacks for positions in the human resources and affirmative action officers. In any organization in which I’ve worked, they’re the least respected offices. But they’re visible. And everyone else, at one time or another, has to deal with one or both. Said blacks in HR and AA are working for the white pseudo-pc administration. They are holding up said administration’s agendas. Someone who’s working his job because he needs it brings his grievances to the aforementioned officers. The person complaining may be white but not part of the “old boy’s network” (If he were in it, why would he be in the positions he’s in?) The HR or AA officer carries out the administration’s policies—written and unwritten. You’ve just read a recipe for anger and alienation. People don’t direct their animus at people they’ll never deal with. Instead, they direct their venom at those with whom they have to deal. They’ll never meet who’s running the show; they meet only the stagehands, so to speak. And they are the ones who become the objects of hate and resentment. THIS ITEM IS CONTINUED ON THE PAGE "UPDATE CONTD 5". *************** |
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