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ACP Forums
This is an archived ACP Forums thread.
ethics advice re: adviser misconduct
Lena P., 1/7/2005, 3:30:00 AM
A close friend who I worked with on our junior college newspaper recently asked my advice on an issue with his adviser.
Apparently, after I left, he and the adviser had a falling out over the adviser's heavy-handed control of the paper, as well as the adviser's meddling in student's personal affairs (which I can vouch for).
My friend was fired by the adviser and (I believe quite wrongly) banned from the newsroom. My friend seeked redress from the school, but has apparently been blown off.
My friend leveled some pretty serious charges, such as violations of ethics, school policy and the law.
He's pretty angry and he told me he was thinking about exposing compromising pictures he has of the adviser to the school's president and possibly other college media.
My question: What should I tell him? I've always said take the high road, and this seems like mudslinging. HOWEVER, this adviser's conduct has been unethical and in some cases, dangerous. I'm really stumped as to what is the right thing to do.
Responses
Laura H., 1/26/2005, 9:30:23 PM
What was your friend's position in the newsroom? What was the reason given for the firing?
The best way to deal with that is to approach it professionally, instead of emotionally.
Your friend should write up a formal letter of complaint, including all of the charges, and compile examples or evidence.
They should follow this through appropriate channels within the school, starting with the most immediate people -- in my university, it would first go to the Dean of Students, then the Head of Student Development, then the Executive Director of Communications, and so on, higher and higher. Surely, there's someone that can help out.
Also, revealing any photographs would be just as inappropriate as whatever else the adviser has done. I really hope he doesn't go through with that. If what he's saying is true, he won't need to show the pics to anyone.
Lena P., 2/23/2005, 10:58:44 PM
Thank you for your post.
He was a senior editor. The way I understand it, there was no reason at all given for the firing, other than he didn't "follow procedure," whatever that means.
He has talked with everyone short of the president of the school and he wrote up a formal complaint. Apparently, he was told by the Dean, via email, that they would "get around to it when time permitted."
After talking with him again, I told him to talk to the president as soon as his transfer is complete, and if the president does nothing, to go ahead with whatever he feels comfortable with.
Apparently the adviser's misconduct included purchasing alcohol for under-age kids on school funded trips. That's pretty bad. So I said that, along with some other things he said, outweigh the inappropriateness of releasing the photos. At least to me.
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