Evan Dobelle: Fair "firing" ?

[NewsBot]

{br}Dobelle Fired{br}Starbulletin.com - Jun 16 2004 11:7:0 GMT{br}{br}This article was posted automatically. Comments are welcome!

[Mocha]

Evan Dobelle: Fair "firing" ?

It was a shock hearing on the news last night that President of the UH Evan Dobelle was "fired"...with cause! Guess the regents really couldn't work with him! It'll be interesting to hear what the reasons are.

[Linkmeister]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair "firing" ?

If you read the papers, you'll learn that "for cause" has only three criteria, and as far as I know Dobelle's committed none of the three. "Moral turpitude, felony offense, or incapacity to continue."

This is the regent's attempt to CYA, and they're probably gonna lose legally on that point.

Cayetano had it about right in the Advertiser's article. "No class," he said, talking about the method the regents used (firing the man while he was on vacation with no chance to rebut).

The University may have a really hard time recruiting a replacement; who's got a national reputation who'd want to come into such a highly-politicized job?

[ontheleft]

I thought the Repubs were gonna do away with patronage

yeah right... look at the recent appointments to the Regents: Repub warhorse Kitty Lagareta, and Jane Tatibouet, wife of hotelier (and Repub contributor) Andre Tatibouet, among others. Edit: Lagareta's bio at the UH website (which, by the way, says nothing about the case) doesn't even list her undergrad degree (as the other bios do)! Does she even have one?!

http://www.hawaii.edu/admin/regents/#lagareta

So what this amounts to is that Lingle's handpicked Regents bullied one or two others to go along with them in axing Dobelle for the "moral turpitude" of daring to endorse a Democrat.

As to the question of who on Earth would want to replace Dobelle under these circumstances, unfortunately, the answer is "a right-wing ideologue who cares nothing about such quaint twentieth-century notions as 'academic integrity'". Hopefully Lynne Cheney will declare herself unavailable...

<<<<<
ontheLeft

[Albert]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

There needs to be a much closer look at these "regents".

[Linkmeister]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

There needs to be a much closer look at these "regents".

By whom? I think it's fairly evident that they were chosen not for their ties to higher education and its mission, but because Lingle had an opportunity to put people whose political philosophy matched hers into big jobs.

[LikaNui]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

>> If you read the papers, you'll learn that "for cause" has only three criteria, and as far as I know Dobelle's committed none of the three. "Moral turpitude, felony offense, or incapacity to continue."
This is the regent's attempt to CYA, and they're probably gonna lose legally on that point. <<

Supposedly an announcement will be made today or tomorrow regarding the exact point of those 3 criteria were violated. The regents also had their attorney present for the entire meeting, so I'd guess chances are good that they're on pretty firm legal grounds for the firing.

>> Cayetano had it about right in the Advertiser's article. "No class," he said, talking about the method the regents used (firing the man while he was on vacation with no chance to rebut). <<

Some of the media reported that Dobelle had been told about the meeting well in advance but that Dobelle specifically declined to attend and instead chose to go on vacation.
Mind you, I'm not taking a position one way or the other on the man; I just think we need to keep all the facts in mind here before jumping to conclusions based on gossip.
That would be a first for internet chat groups!

[Linkmeister]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

Regarding the notification, I was thinking of the "let's just tell his wife while he's out" approach, rather than just asking her to relay the message and ask him to call them.

I'd call that a weak way out of a sticky situation.

[LikaNui]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

Regarding the notification, I was thinking of the "let's just tell his wife while he's out" approach, rather than just asking her to relay the message and ask him to call them. I'd call that a weak way out of a sticky situation.

???
According to almost every news outlet the regents did indeed place several calls to Dobelle during the day and evening yesterday and Dobelle did not return the calls.

[Mocha]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

Let's hope that Evan Dobelle will speak out and tell his side of the story, and you would think that people would be told that they're terminated in person!

[Linkmeister]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

???
According to almost every news outlet the regents did indeed place several calls to Dobelle during the day and evening yesterday and Dobelle did not return the calls.

We're misunderstanding each other here. I mean if the guy hasn't returned your calls, it's probably because he hasn't gotten messages for whatever reason. So my idealistic view of personnel management tells me you wait until you can speak directly to the individual you're firing; you don't resort to telling his spouse. What was so damned urgent they couldn't wait to speak to the man himself?

[LikaNui]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

>> We're misunderstanding each other here. <<

I thought maybe that was the case. Thanks for clarifying what you meant.

>> So my idealistic view of personnel management tells me you wait until you can speak directly to the individual you're firing; you don't resort to telling his spouse. What was so damned urgent they couldn't wait to speak to the man himself? <<

Well, if it's true (as some in the media are specualting and others in the know are hinting at) that there are "financial irregularities", then yes, you'd want him fired on the spot.
BTW, I'm also seeing a lot of comments blaming this all on the regents appointed by Lingle, yet if you folks read the Star-Bulletin's story today you'll see just how many Democrats had some serious issues with Dobelle.

[Albert]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

Dobelle was on campus yesterday and again today. Can tell since his Porsche was parking in his reserved spot. Unusual, two days in a row.

[Linkmeister]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

If "financial irregularities" means the expense account argument, supposedly that had been resolved.

And what possible further "irregularities" could he commit while on vacation on the mainland? Did he take the only checkbook the UH has?

It will be interesting to hear what he has to say, because I really think he's gonna follow Dylan Thomas' advice:

"Do not go gently into the night
Rage rage against the dying of the light"

[LikaNui]

Re: Evan Dobelle: Fair &quot;firing&quot; ?

Dobelle was on campus yesterday and again today. Can tell since his Porsche was parking in his reserved spot. Unusual, two days in a row.

Nope, the papers reported that his car was left in his spot there while he was on vacation.