Education’s Accountability Problem

No Accountability at Eastern Michigan University
When critics speak about public education, they often focus in on a system they say lacks accountability. In light of what has transpired recently at a public university in Michigan, public education once again will be perceived as a place where true accountability is lacking.

Three administrators at Eastern Michigan University were recently terminated by the school for lying to cover-up the rape and murder of a student last year. According to press reports, the President of the University, John Fallon, was fired. The Vice-President of Student Affairs, Jim Vick, and Public Safety Directory, Cindy Hall, also reportedly “lost their jobs” at the school.

On the surface, those actions would lead one to believe that some basic accountability was taking place even as others might seek to somehow make such actions in the future a crime. However, severance agreements obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Ann Arbor News indicate something far less.

Terminated or Paid Off?
Vick and Hall may have lost their jobs but the two were still allowed to retire and collect their benefits along with their pensions. One can understand that denying those basic benefits might have produced some legal jeopardy for the school. However, the two both received a year’s salary under the severance agreement as well as payments for unused vacation and sick time.

The total amount of money for the salary portion for these two administrators was a sickening $245,253.

President Fallon had a contract that contained an amazing protection clause. Seems if the was to be fired by the university he would be entitled to one year’s base salary in the process. At an annual salary of $225,000, Fallon’s pay severance nearly matched that of the other two administrators.

All told, with the vacation and sick time buy outs thrown in, the three received $550,000 in severances.

The slain student’s parents, as well as fellow students at the school, were initially told by the university that the student had died of asphyxiation and that no foul play was evident. Only after another student was arrested for the crime were the parents of the victim and students at the school informed that the student had been raped and killed.

Justice Was Not Done
This is a terrible story that has only become more dissappointing with time. Lying to cover-up the rape and murder of a student should have cost every administrator involved their jobs. But when administrators commit ethical transgressions equivalent to what these three did there should be no provision for a severance. In fact, we cannot say that justice was done in this case.

Not for the student, not for the family and certainly not for the student body as a whole. True accountability should be present in all public service jobs. Sadly, public education continues to err when it comes to this key, fundamental tenet.