Dean Runs Amok
Sat, Jul28, 2007 - Category: School of
Law
AveWatch recently
reported on the steps taken to fire Professor
Stephen Safranek, a co-founder and tenured
faculty member at Ave Maria School of Law. The
Catholic legal community,
along with students
and alumni, have protested.
Tonight, multiple unconfirmed reports to AveWatch state that Professor Safranek has now been banned from access to his office, the Law School grounds, and his School email account - all without being formally terminated and without due process. His pay and benefits will, apparently, be suspended in September.
Any faculty, staff, students, alumni, or Board members who wish to make a statement can do so through AveWatch's contact form.
Contrast the treatment of co-founders Charles Rice (Professor Emeritus) and Stephen Safranek to that of Chaplain Fr. Michael Orsi. How is it that someone like Orsi - who has behaved with shocking carelessness [1,2,3] and invited controversy upon the Law School - receives not even a reprimand or sanction from Dean Dobranski nor Chairman Monaghan? It is no coincidence that Chaplain Orsi is reported to be the loudest non-administration "yes man" for Monaghan on AMSL's campus. This is the Ave Maria culture on display for the world to see - If you put duty to Tom Monaghan's whim above every other duty and obligation, you will be protected. If you say that duty to Mr. Monaghan is not synonymous with duty to institutional "mission", then you become a target. That is the internal rot bred by an institution laiden with administrative conflict-of-interest.
It is time for the Board of Governors at Ave Maria School of Law, and the School's entire community, to stop this embarrassment and say "Enough."
Fumare comments here and here
UPDATED, 7/29/2007 - statement released by Professor Kevin Lee (click 'More..' below)
UPDATED, 7/30/2007 - letter of suspension from Dobranski (released by Fumare) confirms the aforementioned
Tonight, multiple unconfirmed reports to AveWatch state that Professor Safranek has now been banned from access to his office, the Law School grounds, and his School email account - all without being formally terminated and without due process. His pay and benefits will, apparently, be suspended in September.
Any faculty, staff, students, alumni, or Board members who wish to make a statement can do so through AveWatch's contact form.
Contrast the treatment of co-founders Charles Rice (Professor Emeritus) and Stephen Safranek to that of Chaplain Fr. Michael Orsi. How is it that someone like Orsi - who has behaved with shocking carelessness [1,2,3] and invited controversy upon the Law School - receives not even a reprimand or sanction from Dean Dobranski nor Chairman Monaghan? It is no coincidence that Chaplain Orsi is reported to be the loudest non-administration "yes man" for Monaghan on AMSL's campus. This is the Ave Maria culture on display for the world to see - If you put duty to Tom Monaghan's whim above every other duty and obligation, you will be protected. If you say that duty to Mr. Monaghan is not synonymous with duty to institutional "mission", then you become a target. That is the internal rot bred by an institution laiden with administrative conflict-of-interest.
It is time for the Board of Governors at Ave Maria School of Law, and the School's entire community, to stop this embarrassment and say "Enough."
Fumare comments here and here
UPDATED, 7/29/2007 - statement released by Professor Kevin Lee (click 'More..' below)
UPDATED, 7/30/2007 - letter of suspension from Dobranski (released by Fumare) confirms the aforementioned
The following email is from AMSL Professor Kevin P. Lee who announced his resignation earlier this year.
From: Lee, Kevin
Sent: Sat 7/28/2007 6:00 PM
To: Dobranski, Bernard; All Law System Distribution
Subject: RE: New Faculty
It is utterly inconceivable to me that anyone having to do with the deplorable decision to suspend tenured faculty member, Steven Safranek, can show their face in civilized society. It is indecent at best and clearly not in keeping with an institution that devotes itself to the name of our Lady, Mary, Mirror of Justice. I am deeply offended as a Catholic legal educator that such a heinous act could have been committed in Her name. SHAME on you all. May you meet God's justice.
Kevin P. Lee