Hi Again Vickie and All,


I forgot to add that academic due process was followed and has been found to have been correctly
followed by the university concerned.

Who cares?

I do.  Very much, and I have done more than talk about it.  I have put myself on the line for my
beliefs.


Just as hundreds of other trans-people and trans-friendly people do every day.

Cheers

Rhian

Rhian Cope  BSc BVSc PhD
Assistant Professor Morphology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2001 S Lincoln Ave
Urbana, Il 61802, USA

Ph:  	1-217-244-1583
Fax:	1-217-244-1652

Email:	[log in to unmask] Fri Aug 18 09:43:42 2000,
"Rhian Cope" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Hi Vickie and All,
>
>
>I agree with your sentiments whole heartedly, however, "gently gently catch em monkey......."
>
>We are currently waiting for the final report from the university concerned, although we have been
>reassured verbally by the investigating officers involved and the university provost's office that
>they have found no merit in any of the student's claims what so ever.
>
>The student has been excluded from her course of training on academic performance grounds.
>
>The statues of the university concerned require the university to provide full legal defense of an
>academic staff member who is subject to civil action in the course of their duties.  This would
>cover the trans staff member's legal costs should the student concerned decide to take legal
>action.
> This is a considerable benefit to the trans staff member concerned as she would not be financially
>able to go it alone.
>
>Following the her successful defense in relation to these issues, the trans staff member has been
>invited to become part of the president of the university's standing committee on woman's issues.
>This is somewhat of a victory and hopefully will allow for some championing of trans issues at the
>university concerned.
>
>The trans-staff member is not the only trans person (both staff and student) at the university
>concerned.
>
>Cheers to all
>
>Rhian
>
>Rhian Cope  BSc BVSc PhD
>Assistant Professor Morphology
>University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
>2001 S Lincoln Ave
>Urbana, Il 61802, USA
>
>Ph:  	1-217-244-1583
>Fax:	1-217-244-1652
>
>Email:	[log in to unmask] Fri Aug 18 00:11:17 2000,
><[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>In a message dated 08/17/2000 10:55:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
>>[log in to unmask] writes:
>>
>>> Yes, I agree.  Unfortunately, the procedure at the university concerned
>>> outlaws, under threat of
>>>  dismissal, any action against any party involved in this type of dispute
>>> that could be viewed as
>>>  retaliatory.  A law suit would be judged to be a retaliatory action and a
>>> violation of the
>>>  university rules.
>>
>>And in return for this abrogation of minimal civil and legal protections even
>>in the face of extreme harrassment, what alternative protection does the
>>university's procedure provide for those who are being harrassed in this way,
>>duly subject to this death by a thousand cuts?  A string of "not guilty"
>>judgements like beads on a string stretching over the horizon?
>>
>>1)  Unlawful contracts are not enforceable.  Everyone is responsible for
>>injury deliberately done others, including that child of adult age playing
>>the vindictive game you describe, who should not be protected past a point
>>which seems to have been passed.  If the administration won't end the farce
>>with at least a severe reprimand, I should imagine it could itself become a
>>party to an instructor's lawsuit if it attempted dismissal because an attempt
>>to hold a student responsible for his or her own actions "could be viewed as"
>>(not "was found to be") retaliatory.  2) the educational institution's
>>obligation to "educate" a marginal student includes the obligation to teach
>>him or her not to use protective procedures vindictively.  What is it doing
>>in this regard?  That the instructor in question *feels* harrassed and
>>unprotected and has no recourse signifies its own abrogation of
>>responsibility, I should think.
>>
>>In my institution, there would be a single fact finding examination, and if
>>the student persisted after a finding that there was no merit in the charge,
>>there would be confidential review of only those facts by higher authority to
>>assure that due process was followed and the conclusion seemingly justified.
>>The student would then be informed to accept the judgement or leave.
>>Administrations exist to enable the faculty to do what they are asked to do
>>(teach, determine curricula and academic policies, research, and thereby
>>advance their disciplines) undistracted by the routine oddities always
>>encountered among students.  Shouldn't they be doing their jobs?  See David
>>Mamet's play "Oleanna"  for a paradigmatic case.
>>
>>I suspect that whatever the university thinks, the student *like the faculty
>>member* is  free to raise the issues yet again in civil proceedings, where if
>>the facts are as represented, especially if "academic due process" was
>>followed, it would be eventually dismissed though after further punitive
>>exposure of the faculty member.  This because a grade (like a job) can be
>>defined as an earned property right, and an unjust grade deprivation of that
>>property.  In such a suit the university would probably be a party with the
>>instructor.
>>
>>Has the student's behavior become a campus issue, with choosing up of sides
>>and letters to the student newspaper, etc?  Now THAT would be educational.
>>Does the student have peer support or peer condemnation in the Great Court of
>>Public Opinion where most such issues are in fact settled?  What says the
>>"Women's Caucus" (or whatever the equivalent feminist organization) about all
>>this?  Has the Chronicle of Higher Education found it yet?  Or the AAUP?
>>Does anyone care?
>>
>>Love,
>>Vickie
>>
>
>



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