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"The Unity for Gallaudet protest is not over! It will continue until Dr. Fernandes resigns and/or the Board reopens the search process."

FSSA Press Release - September 5, 2006

Written by FSSA Editorial Team

Tuesday, 05 September 2006

The FSSA Coalition expresses indignation at the self-serving letters sent to constituents of Gallaudet University and the deaf community by the Drs. Brenda Jo Brueggemann, I. King Jordan, and Jane K. Fernandes.  In response to these letters the FSSA Coalition reiterates and re-asserts these points: •  Voices of reason and justifiable dissent expressed by the large majority of Gallaudet University students, faculty, staff, and alumni were not heard and continue to go unheard. •  We are firm in our response to the Board of Trustees and the administration of Gallaudet University that we do not recognize Dr. Jane Fernandes as the legitimate 9th president designee of Gallaudet University.  Her selection by the Board of Trustees was based on a process that was flawed, unfair, and biased in her favor.  We cannot and do not support this process, nor her selection. •  The “Free Expression Guidelines” distributed on June 28th by Dr. I. King Jordan, despite his claims to the contrary, are an example of current administration attempts to control and rule this campus by oppression, intimidation, and fear. The FSSA Coalition refuses to accept an administration and Board of Trustees  who govern by such tactics. •  We hold the Board of Trustees, Dr. Jordan, and Dr. Fernandes responsible for the consequences of continuing to ignore the reality of a deeply divided university. The Unity for Gallaudet protest is not over!  It will continue until Dr. Fernandes resigns and/or the Board reopens the search process.  The members of the FSSA Coalition individually and collectively will continue to come together to fight for social justice.  Together we stand: United for Gallaudet. WALK FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE "The reaction of the campus security and the authority with which they conduct their business here at Gallaudet is something to behold." A Gallaudet faculty member sent the following message to members of her department: "Students who are unhappy with the recent presidential appointment process at Gallaudet University in Washington DC organized a small march today at noon, beginning at the student cafeteria and walking on sidewalks and concluding at the entrance to the SAC building. "Faculty and a few staff joined the 100 or so students as DPS (Department of Public Safety) took pictures of the marchers and parked along the route.  DPS vehicles were seen driving on campus sidewalks during the rally, not in the vicinity of the march, using their voices to yell at walkers to move out of the way so they could get to wherever they were going in a hurry. "At the conclusion of the rally, one DPS security guard approached a student leader and told him that because he was PNG (i.e., barred from campus), he needed to come with the guard at the time. The guard was threatening and insistent—harassing.  Luckily for this student, a witness faculty member was present and insisted that this student WAS NOT PNG and the security guard hurried away.  "The whole march lasted about 20 minutes—but the reaction of the campus security and the authority with which they conduct their business here at Gallaudet is something to behold." many thanks to a staff member for the pictures AND -- as always, keep on checking http://www.gallyfssa.org/  - the two above texts are from that website.