A License To Harm Gallaudet Students?
Recently dissension bubbled up in the Gallaudet Community regarding Jordan, Fernandes, and Kimmel coming back to teach. As tenured employees, they are entitled to teach. Yet given their attacks on Gallaudet via the news media, their desire to return to a university for which they bear deep contempt and hostility is puzzling. Whatever, they do have the right as long as they have tenure.
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However, the lack of accountability among Gallaudet administrators and employees is troubling. The Administration and Operation Manual is administered by Paul Kelly. The code of conduct is discussed clearly in the manual. Should a conflict of interest arise regarding Kelly if he violates the code of ethics when, as a member of the Crisis Management Team along with Fernandes, he cooperated with Jordan’s order to attack sleeping students at Brentwood Gate, resulting in vicious beatings and students requiring medical treatment?Â
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That morning, Jordan broke his earlier promise to students and MPD that they will be notified in advance whether DPS would deal with them. They were caught by surprise when missiles, such as wood pieces and iron pipes, landed on top of their tents while they were ASLEEP.  Witnesses stated that Kelly was watching the chaos, with a gloating smile. Bystanders, including KDES kids in buses, were horrified by the beatings of students by PPDs and DPS. The salaried workers used 2 X 4 pieces of wood and iron pipes as weapons against students. An employee even kicked a student in the groin. The bulldozer removed the tents without checking to ensure no people were inside, when one student was already inside. Approximately 40employees have ambushed sleeping eight students, resulting in five injuries requiring immediate medical attention.  Students have filed reports with the local police.
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To this day, there has been NO accountability of this egregious and felonious behavior resulting in violations of multiple DC and Federal laws. No surveillance tapes overseeing Brentwood Gates have ever been produced, even though several trees were chopped earlier to increase visibility. I find that very interesting. Believe me, no other university would have tolerated this unlawful ambush ending with  injured students. Parents and media will not let them hear the end of this until the responsible parties are disciplined.
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But not at Gallaudet.
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No wonder. Paul Kelly, who is guilty of this atrocious offense, is also responsible for the conduct code of university employees. This is asking the fox to guard the henhouse. Who is looking out for the welfare of the students?
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This isn’t related with the academic freedom to express opinions, popular or unpopular. This is about accountability, something MSCHE found amiss in its earlier reports. How can the assaulted students feel safe if the perpetrators, Jordan, Fernandes, and Kelly, who ordered the felony assaults walk around freely? How would MSCHE think of this?
Something stinks to high heaven at GallaudetÂ
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Vlog: Two victims sharing their experiences of assault at Mt. Bision: http://www.savegallaudet.org/?p=36. One student hit in the knee with a metal pipe was reportedly to suffer a fracture as a result. Another student had his toe bloodied, with the nail ripped off.
Blog: Witness’ narration of that morning ambush: http://mishkazena.wordpress.com/2006/10/25/130-pm-urgent-e-mail-from-gally-professore/
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From  OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION MANUAL:
   1.01 Standards of Conduct (Workplace Violence)
Gallaudet University has adopted a policy of zero tolerance with respect to violence in the workplace. Workplace violence includes the threat or actual infliction of physical violence as well as the threat or actual occurrence of psychological harm. Any behavior which threatens the life or well-being of others will not be tolerated. Any individual who believes he/she has been subjected to or has observed or has knowledge of actual or potential workplace violence should immediately notify the Department of Public Safety. Reports of such acts or threats will be promptly investigated. Strong disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, will be taken against employees who commit workplace violence. Additionally, the University will support criminal prosecution of those who threaten or commit violence against its employees, students, and visitors in its facilities, programs, or activities.
Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a manner which at all times contributes positively to the health and welfare of the students and reflects well on the reputation and mission of the University. Professional boundaries with students are critical, particularly with the University’s population of minor children in its elementary and secondary programs. Behavior or conduct that is inappropriate could lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment
   Â
 1.12 Conflict of Interest
All members of the Board of Trustees and all administrators, faculty, teachers, and exempt staff of the University must avoid any conflict between their personal interests and the interests of Gallaudet University. These individuals are expected to avoid even the appearance of impropriety in the performance of their duties and must never use their positions or knowledge gained on the job to inappropriately influence decisions for their advantage, or for that of their family and friends.  http://af.gallaudet.edu/A_O.asp
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CRISIS MANAGEMENT TEAM COMPOSITION:
The Crisis Management Team is a focused responsibility group for the crisis management process. The core Crisis Management Team includes members of senior management and representatives from several areas of the University who are in the best position to respond to the emergency. Specifically, the leaders of core team consist of:
President (Jordan and Fernandes in training)
Vice President, Administration and Finance (Kelly)
The top three listed above wield the most power on the campus.
The President has the executive authority to execute all portions of this plan.
.Â
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Feel free to contact Davila and Board of Trustee to object to the non-enforcement of the Standards of Conduct and Conflicts of Interests described in the Operations and Administrations below.
Davila’s e mail address: robert.davila@gallaudet.edu
Contact Person in President’s Office for Board of Trustees:Â catherine.sweet-windham@gallaudet.edu
Recently dissension bubbled up in the Gallaudet Community regarding Jordan, Fernandes, and Kimmel coming back to teach. As tenured employees, they are entitled to teach. Yet given their attacks on Gallaudet via the news media, their desire to return to a university for which they bear deep contempt and hostility is puzzling. Whatever, they do have the right as long as they have tenure.
Â
However, the lack of accountability among Gallaudet administrators and employees is troubling. The Administration and Operation Manual is administered by Paul Kelly. The code of conduct is discussed clearly in the manual. Should a conflict of interest arise regarding Kelly if he violates the code of ethics when, as a member of the Crisis Management Team along with Fernandes, he cooperated with Jordan’s order to attack sleeping students at Brentwood Gate, resulting in vicious beatings and students requiring medical treatment?Â
Â
That morning, Jordan broke his earlier promise to students and MPD that they will be notified in advance whether DPS would deal with them. They were caught by surprise when missiles, such as wood pieces and iron pipes, landed on top of their tents while they were ASLEEP.  Witnesses stated that Kelly was watching the chaos, with a gloating smile. Bystanders, including KDES kids in buses, were horrified by the beatings of students by PPDs and DPS. The salaried workers used 2 X 4 pieces of wood and iron pipes as weapons against students. An employee even kicked a student in the groin. The bulldozer removed the tents without checking to ensure no people were inside, when one student was already inside. Approximately 40employees have ambushed sleeping eight students, resulting in five injuries requiring immediate medical attention.  Students have filed reports with the local police.
Â
To this day, there has been NO accountability of this egregious and felonious behavior resulting in violations of multiple DC and Federal laws. No surveillance tapes overseeing Brentwood Gates have ever been produced, even though several trees were chopped earlier to increase visibility. I find that very interesting. Believe me, no other university would have tolerated this unlawful ambush ending with  injured students. Parents and media will not let them hear the end of this until the responsible parties are disciplined.
 Â
But not at Gallaudet.
Â
No wonder. Paul Kelly, who is guilty of this atrocious offense, is also responsible for the conduct code of university employees. This is asking the fox to guard the henhouse. Who is looking out for the welfare of the students?
Â
This isn’t related with the academic freedom to express opinions, popular or unpopular. This is about accountability, something MSCHE found amiss in its earlier reports. How can the assaulted students feel safe if the perpetrators, Jordan, Fernandes, and Kelly, who ordered the felony assaults walk around freely? How would MSCHE think of this?
Something stinks to high heaven at GallaudetÂ
.
Vlog: Two victims sharing their experiences of assault at Mt. Bision: http://www.savegallaudet.org/?p=36. One student hit in the knee with a metal pipe was reportedly to suffer a fracture as a result. Another student had his toe bloodied, with the nail ripped off.
Blog: Witness’ narration of that morning ambush: http://mishkazena.wordpress.com/2006/10/25/130-pm-urgent-e-mail-from-gally-professore/
.
From  OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION MANUAL:
   1.01 Standards of Conduct (Workplace Violence)
Gallaudet University has adopted a policy of zero tolerance with respect to violence in the workplace. Workplace violence includes the threat or actual infliction of physical violence as well as the threat or actual occurrence of psychological harm. Any behavior which threatens the life or well-being of others will not be tolerated. Any individual who believes he/she has been subjected to or has observed or has knowledge of actual or potential workplace violence should immediately notify the Department of Public Safety. Reports of such acts or threats will be promptly investigated. Strong disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, will be taken against employees who commit workplace violence. Additionally, the University will support criminal prosecution of those who threaten or commit violence against its employees, students, and visitors in its facilities, programs, or activities.
Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a manner which at all times contributes positively to the health and welfare of the students and reflects well on the reputation and mission of the University. Professional boundaries with students are critical, particularly with the University’s population of minor children in its elementary and secondary programs. Behavior or conduct that is inappropriate could lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment
   Â
 1.12 Conflict of Interest
All members of the Board of Trustees and all administrators, faculty, teachers, and exempt staff of the University must avoid any conflict between their personal interests and the interests of Gallaudet University. These individuals are expected to avoid even the appearance of impropriety in the performance of their duties and must never use their positions or knowledge gained on the job to inappropriately influence decisions for their advantage, or for that of their family and friends.  http://af.gallaudet.edu/A_O.asp
.
CRISIS MANAGEMENT TEAM COMPOSITION:
The Crisis Management Team is a focused responsibility group for the crisis management process. The core Crisis Management Team includes members of senior management and representatives from several areas of the University who are in the best position to respond to the emergency. Specifically, the leaders of core team consist of:
President (Jordan and Fernandes in training)
Vice President, Administration and Finance (Kelly)
The top three listed above wield the most power on the campus.
The President has the executive authority to execute all portions of this plan.
.Â
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Feel free to contact Davila and Board of Trustee to object to the non-enforcement of the Standards of Conduct and Conflicts of Interests described in the Operations and Administrations below.
Davila’s e mail address: robert.davila@gallaudet.edu
Contact Person in President’s Office for Board of Trustees:Â catherine.sweet-windham@gallaudet.edu
October 29th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
How abusive! Elizabeth, thank you for raising the flag on the Administration and Operations Manual which is the campus bible. It was written by the university attorneys who knew nothing about American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. The way Paul Kelly handled the assault on sleeping students was a good example of the hearing supremacy doctrine. Paul Kelly got away with a perfect crime, a moral crime, and a hate crime (He hated those peaceful, sleeping protestors!).
October 29th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
excellent as always! I hope the right people (students, Gallaudet employees/adminstration, parents, lawyers) pick up on this and get back to work to process this bad neglect.
October 29th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Change to a different subject –
A person who posted several blogs and claimed that IKJ is *ALREADY* coming back to teach the scuba diving class during the night time. Is it true?
Let us know.
White Ghost
October 29th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
This is an extraordinary circumstance (the assault on students on October 25, 2006) and I believe that their tenure can be easily revoked on this basis.
Fernandes was a member of the Crisis Management Team (CMT) and we were told by two people in the administration last year that actually she was running the CMT and that she had been running it since she established it some years before. She lied to a protest leader last year, claiming that she wasn’t even a member of the CMT.
If someone tries to claim that Gallaudet “doesn’t have a leg to stand on” if Gallaudet revoked their tenure–it isn’t true. Gallaudet *does* have a leg to stand on. Either Gallaudet’s lawyers are being too cautious, or they are not getting the full information about Fernandes giving the order to attack Mt. Bison on October 25.
October 29th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
Clearly, Gallaudet cannot move forward till those responsible for the assault on the students are held accountable.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Thanks for sharing this information… I wonder WHY Gallaudet let all three K’s come back to Gallaudet next spring 2008… while they did fire former faculty and staff after protest at Gallaudet in 2006… I cant understand why Gallaudet lets them (all three K’s) come back to Gallaudet and teach again… I think that IKJ, JKF and Paul Kelly should be FIRED from Gallaudet for what they did to students during incident at MT. BISON!!!
October 29th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
The last time I heard that some of the students planned on sueing Gallaudet for harming them. Do you know if the lawsuits have been processed? The Operations and Administration Manual is great and the key to show the judge that they’ve broken the policy/manual.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
These students, according to all sources of information, never attacked Gallaudet staff or employees. Instead, it was Gallaudet staff who laid hands (and other apparatus) on the students.
The people responsible for events in which students were hurt must be made to account for their action and to defend it according to laws at Gallaudet and the District of Columbia.
Otherwise, the old-fashioned paternalism that governed Gallaudet for more than a century will never be replaced by respect and interaction appropriate for an adult community.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Bravo! Why not the GUAA and other deaf organizations file the legal action(s) against Paul Kelly, the “fox guard the hen’s coop house” and three fumbling K’s muskeeters?
That will bring up media exposure on Paul Kelly and three Ks and their cronies!
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
October 29th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Bravo, Elizabeth! I must commend you for your excellent blog!
Time for the Gallaudet community to wake up about Paul Kelly who has no business to be around on Kendall Green. The BoT members whom Jordan had appointed should be asked to step down by Dr. Davila. Last but not at least, the BoT should revoke the tenures of Jordan, Fernandes, and Kimmel. If J, F, and K are still there, the process of healing will be difficult!
Again, thank you for your excellent blog!
Post Scriptum: A student should sue Jordan and
Kelly for bulldozing the Tent City which not only resulted in cutting a Gallaudet student’s TOENAIL
but also resulted in some students’ traumatized experience.”
October 29th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Can anyone please show why students and administrators doing a very civil thing within appropriate due process to revoke their tenure should do harm to MSCHE’s 8 objectives for accreditation? The university would be simply exercising the total democracy and human rights that do come within MSCHE’s objectives to bring Gallaudet, its academia, intellect, and humanity, back on a solid ground.
October 29th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
First off, Dr. Fernandes had nothing to do with the students being removed. The students were removed because they were distrupting the operations of a university trying to teach other students not involved in the protest.
Second, Mishka you keep telling tales of terror and destruction. Leave this to the reporters in Iraq and Afganistan. The worst damage done to a student was a ripped toenail.
Stop embellishing to get your point across. If you got a valid point make it without making it sound like Kent State.
Never once did I see or hear of Dr. Fernandes ever treating anyone with violence. That goes the same for Jordan as well.
It is becoming more and more evident that it is you who should be abolished from Gallaudet. Why you may ask?
FOR TRYING TO START A RIOT!!
I guess you haven’t had enough attention lately so you have to revert to your old ways.
By the way the protest ended almost a year. You won. Stop the Anger and Hate. It will eat you alive!!
October 29th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Said a person who didn’t talk with the victims nor the witnesses
Read the links before you make a complete fool out of yourself. HTH
October 29th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
Jacky,
Students did not know about the possiblity of being bulldozed and trampled with dangerous objects nor they can hear them. They could have been waken up and warned beforehand. What had happened could have resulted in death and far more serious injuries. This is a violation of human rights and all of them, King, Fernandes, and Kelly (being administrators including Fernandes being on train during that time) hold full responsiblity for all this according to the policy 1.01 Standards of Conduct (Workplace Violence) in A&O manual whether you like it or not.
Your reply lacks substance and objectivity.
October 29th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
Jacky et al, you drop the same message in other blogs and vlogs. According to you, Fernandes and Jordan are saints. We all are angry and hateful.
Not very creative, are you?
October 29th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Jacky,
You should stop acting as an apologist for Fernandes, Jordan and Kelly. They *attacked* the protesters (without immediate warning, as proved by the Oct 26, 2006 Wash Post article.)
This was an illegal police action performed by Gallaudet campus police, along with Physical Plant employees. There’s no way around facing that hard reality.
October 29th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
PS It was actually Fernandes, Jordan and Kelly who were attempting to start a riot. That’s why they bulldozed the tents, to attempt to instigate a riot in order to convince the Board to vote to keep Fernandes when they met three days later. It was a desperation move on their part–a huge and illegal gamble that failed.
This is going to cost Fernandes her academic career if she insists on attempting to teach at Gallaudet this January.
October 29th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Jacky,
Linguist Robert E. Johnson says it all. See his eloquent letter, “Simple Lies, Complex Truths.” Someone had translated Dr. Johnson’s letter into ASL for a video clip. See the translator’s link posted somewhere on DeafRead yesterday.
Who manured whom?
I. King Jordan manured peaceful protesters!
Who bulldozed whom?
I. King Jordan bulldozed peaceful protesters sleeping in tents.
Who was, therefore, a terrorist?
I. King Jordan, most naturally.
I. King Jordan was a beast who did not think!
October 29th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Brian Riley Says to Jacky on October 29th, 2007 at 8:43 pm:
“It was actually Fernandes, Jordan and Kelly who were attempting to start a riot.”
Brian,
Would that there were many brilliant analysts like you!
October 29th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Jacky, it doesn’t appear you were at the protest, nor spoke to any of the protestors.
Bringing up Kent State involves some ironies. The students at KSU were shot at by an outside force, the Ohio National Guard, who were in the city of Kent at the request of the mayor and governor to deal with local unrest, while the assaults on the student protestors at Gallaudet were instigated by university officials and the DPS.
After the shootings at KSU left four dead and nine wounded, one permanently, a presidential commission found that the actions of the Ohio National Guard were “unnecessary, unwarranted, and inexcusable.”
The same can be said for the actions taken by Gally officials during the protest last year.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
To Jacky,
MZ should be destroyed from Gallaudet?
Hey MZ, are you destroyed as a result from Gallaudet? If so, you have one heck of a lawsuit to hurl at Gallaudet!
LOL… Seriously, that’s one of the most funny English mistakes I’ve seen on the blogs, EVER!
November 3rd, 2007 at 11:06 am
Hey Readers!!!!
I see that Paul Kelly is STILL working at Gallaudet… why is he not being FIRED?????? For what he did to protestors from last year at Mt. BISON????? Provost Weiner and Prez Davila are still supporting Paul Kelly…!!!! Why are they keeping him????
I think you are SOOOOO BLIND about him????????????
November 4th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
It looks like Gallaudet will do what it always does…sweep things under the rug. The question is, will students and alumni continue to let them get away with it??
November 5th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Hello Folks,
Elizabeth, Well done article of yours! You did really well investigating and getting all the facts.
You know what? What just came up in my mind as I read your article which is that they should FIRE PAUL KELLY! He is not a good employee for Gallaudet and he is a hearing guy.(This is to state that I am not discriminating against hearing people) I think it’s time for Gallaudet to hire a Deaf person to replace him.
What do you think, folks?
Best wishes,
Ms. Katrina
December 19th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
I second Jacky.
So tired of protesters being childish.
December 20th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Protesters asking people who committed crimes to be accountable are childish?
Gotcha. Trying to bury this criminal act by detracting protesters with inflammatory terms. In other words, you are perfectly okay with the protesters being harmed, hospitalized, and traumatized by the people who broke a legal agreement(witnessed by the police) and abused their administrative powers for personal gains.