Jay RosenJul 21, 2023

Amazing story. Have you followed it?

Texas A&M announces a new journalism dean. She's black and she's qualified— and an alum of the school! Ex-New York Times too.

They announce her appointment in a splashy event.

Dark forces of reaction mobilize.

The offer is watered down to one year, with no tenure. She says no way, and withdraws. National news is made. It's negative. And today, the president of A&M resigns!

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/21/tamu-president-resign-journalism/

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/11/texas-a-m-kathleen-mcelroy-journalism/

#journalism #uspol #science

Texas A&M President Katherine Banks resigns amid fallout from failed hiring of journalism professor

“The recent challenges regarding Dr. McElroy have made it clear to me that I must retire immediately,” Banks wrote in her resignation letter. “The negative press is a distraction from the wonderful work being done here.”

The Texas Tribune
Andrew MackieJul 22, 2023
Show threadJay Rosen

An even more incredible turn in the Texas A&M story, after the president of the University resigned July 20.

The current chair of the journalism department, who recruited Dr. McElroy, released a statement accusing the former president of rank duplicity.

More serious: he says someone altered the draft offer letter to reduce the McElroy appointment from five years to one, without telling him.

It's his signature on the letter.

Read his statement:

#journalism #uspol #texas #science

Jul 22, 2023 at 4:48pmWeb
Show threadpowersoffourJul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu This is stunning -- and it seems unusually direct. At face value, it makes yesterday's resignation much clearer.
Show threadDavid FyhrieJul 22, 2023

@jayrosen_nyu

Texas. Another state without a "quiet part?"

Show thread🐀 ␆Jul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu A technical observation - one would think that a key requirement of an electronic signature mechanism is that post-facto modification of that which was signed is made extremely obvious, and that the signature is revoked.
Show threadJay RosenJul 22, 2023

@walshman23

Now that you say that, I realize I should have worded my post more carefully. I don't know that he signed the draft; rather he was the signatory.

Show threadBrendan HalpinJul 22, 2023
@walshman23 @jayrosen_nyu Many so-called digital sigs are digital sigs in the same way a photocopy of a coin is paper money
Show threadcohomology is FUN!Jul 22, 2023
@walshman23 @jayrosen_nyu I think “electronic signature” is being (mis)used here to mean “image of the person’s handwritten signature”.
Show thread🐀 ␆Jul 22, 2023

@cohomologyisFUN The whole protocol here seems to invite surreptitious modifications.

On a technical level this would be blindingly idiotic as part of a real system, but I bet the thought was that institutional norms would prevent surreptitious mods to signed drafts, and their conversion to final offer letters. Kind of a "gentlemen do not modify each others' mail" thing. We know how that ends.

Show threadcohomology is FUN!Jul 22, 2023
@walshman23 it’s about as secure as a printed letter with an inked signature, given that someone can forge your signature. Which is to say, not very! Especially since the recipient probably doesn’t know what your signature looks like anyways.
Show thread🐀 ␆Jul 22, 2023
@cohomologyisFUN @jayrosen_nyu I think you're right. Sounds almost like there's a Word template out there which has the signature pre-baked. This is an invitation to shenanigans, of course, but as I mentioned in a diff reply that excluded Jay (because he has better things to read), maybe they were counting on "institutional norms" to prevent the shenanigans. Bad plan, but at least the pres was honorable enough to resign, once caught. Like Nixon.
Show threadScissors Cut Paper...Jul 24, 2023

@walshman23 @cohomologyisFUN @jayrosen_nyu

So, many folks in capital P Positions have minions who are delegates and can send electronic and physical communications on their behalf. This is only a problem when someone wants to subvert the system.

Show threadJohn [He, Him, His] 🌈👨🏼‍🔬🧬🧫🧪💻Jul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu sounds like the kind of thing that could be criminal? Altering his letter but keeping the signature could be fraud or some kind of identity theft?
Show threadMirishuliJul 22, 2023
@no1lion99 @jayrosen_nyu Exactly. Which is why I assume she resigned immediately, knowing the forensic evidence will eventually surface. Why would she do such a thing?
Show threadPeter BronezJul 23, 2023

yeahhhhh.

“What if the institution’s top executive decides to surreptitiously manipulate this document to illegally discriminate against a Protected Class?” Is not very high on the recruiting priority list / threat model.

@MiriShuli @no1lion99 @jayrosen_nyu

Show threadThe Evil MicrowizardJul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu wow. Wow. 😳
Show threadTotallyObvious 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇺🇦🇵🇸Jul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu wow, glad the president is gone. Weird that the dates are wrong. Thursday was 7/20 and Friday was 7/21.
Show threadJay RosenJul 22, 2023

@numbercrow

Yes, that was observed by many people yesterday— and it is weird. Especially when you have a law firm involved.

Show threadMatt FranzJul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu @pluralistic Yeah a fellow Aggie shared this with me yesterday. 🙄
Show threadLeisureguyJul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu Wow! VERY strong letter.
Show threadAndré MayerJul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu Not clear to me what (he says) happened. So it was an *earlier* draft that offered a one-year appointment? That he signed? (Who signs drafts?) And there was a later draft? Was there ever an actual offer?
Show threadJay RosenJul 22, 2023

@havhmayer

From the statement it's not clear.

Using what would happen at my university as a guide. The department chair would do the recruitment, organize the search process, and communicate the terms the university is offering to a successful candidate. There could be back and forth with the higher-ups and the candidate, which the chair would be in the middle of.

The draft offer would be a way of saying "is this everything we agreed on?" The final letter would come from a dean or provost.

Show threadMatt MoehrJul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu the dates in the last bullet point seem to be wrong. But yeesh. What a story.
Show threadMaria BustillosJul 22, 2023

@jayrosen_nyu

Holy helen, what a story.

Show threadJay RosenJul 22, 2023

@maria

Lots more to come, I'd bet.

Show threadblinkenjimJul 22, 2023

@jayrosen_nyu

The fourth bullet is impossible, at least if taken at face value.

An electronic signature doesn't just confirm who signed the document, but also that the document hasn't been altered since the signature was applied. A signature on a since-altered document would fail verification.

Show threadblinkenjimJul 22, 2023

@jayrosen_nyu

Though here's an interesting wrinkle on that: if the document was altered and not re-signed, then the copy in Dr McElroy's possession could be used to *prove* that it had been altered. That would be clear evidence of the malfeasance.

Show threadIain MacLean (he/him)Jul 22, 2023
@blinkenjim @jayrosen_nyu If it’s like the ‘electronic signatures’ we’ve used everywhere I’ve worked, it’s a image scan of the real signature on paper. It’s not a digital signature used by lawyers etc for legal documents and can be verified that the document hasn’t been changed. Easily done to alter the text of the letter and paste the image in without the person knowing.
Show threadblinkenjimJul 22, 2023

@pkboi @jayrosen_nyu

Oh dear... that's unfortunate. Perhaps there is some other evidence of the tampering.

Show threadPaolo G. GiarrussoJul 22, 2023
@blinkenjim @jayrosen_nyu https://mastodon.sdf.org/@cohomologyisFUN/110759103300628192
left-wing math nerd (@[email protected])

@[email protected] @[email protected] I think “electronic signature” is being (mis)used here to mean “image of the person’s handwritten signature”.

Mastodon @ SDF
Show threadBrian DearJul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu So sick of Texas officials' stupidity, bigotry, racism, corruption, cheating, lying, and cruelty. You look like a bunch of jerks, Texas.
Show threadCellyBlueJul 22, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu forgery.
Show threadJust MeJul 22, 2023

@jayrosen_nyu

#AltText4You 1/8 image is a released statement, verbiage below:

FIRM CHER LAW

Principal Office 510 Austin Avenue, Suite 110 Waco, TX 76701 254.776.3939 National Capital 1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 202.540.9950 Fax (all offices) 800-809-0473 Toll-free (all offices) 800-892-1506 DAVID R. SCHLEICHER (DC, TX, & WA) KRISTOFER R. SCHLEICHER (GA & TX)-Of Counsel-Fort Worth
WWW.GOV.LAW WWW.SMALLBIZ.LAW
www.CORPLAWFIRM.COM

Show threadJust MeJul 23, 2023

@jayrosen_nyu
#AltText4You 2/8

STATEMENT OF HART BLANTON, PH.D. AS TO NON-HIRING OF KATHLEEN MCELROY, PH.D.

July 21, 2023

Dr. Hart Blanton heads the Texas A&M University Department of Communication and Journalism. He makes the following statement in his personal capacity. He does not foresee offering further public comment on the situation and our firm has no comment to add to his. -David Schleicher (as his attorney).

Show threadJust MeJul 23, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu
#AltText4You 3/8
I am concerned that the public has been misled regarding some of the circumstances regarding the failed attempt to hire Dr. Kathleen McElroy as professor and director of the A&M journalism program. I also speak out to object to race having been a consideration in her treatment. These tragic events were inconsistent with the many professional, welcoming, and honest A&M faculty and administrators I know.
Show threadJust MeJul 23, 2023

@jayrosen_nyu
#AltText4You 4/8
The taxpayers, students, and regents have a right to know what happened at this publicly-funded school:

I initiated the recruitment of Dr. McElroy last year, in recognition of her excellence as a journalist, researcher, and educator. As an added bonus she is an A&M graduate. She applied to a job posted for a Professor and Director of Journalism, and we followed standard administrative procedures while conducting the search.

Show threadJust MeJul 23, 2023

@jayrosen_nyu
#AltText4You 5/8
The failed effort to hire Dr. McElroy is a great loss to A&M and surely caused her great unnecessary suffering.

Then-President M. Katherine Banks misled the Faculty Senate at its July 19 meeting when she represented that the decisionmaking that led to the crisis was at the department level. To the contrary, President Banks injected herself into the process atypically and early on.

Show threadJust MeJul 23, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu
#AltText4You 6/8
The unusual level of scrutiny being given to the hiring of Dr. McElroy was acknowledged by one administrator to have been based, at least in part, on race. Regardless of the source of any such pressure, I understand it to be illegal for any employer much less a public university to subject a job candidate to stricter scrutiny due to her race or color.
Show threadJust MeJul 23, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu
#AltText4You 7/8
I was shocked to learn an earlier draft of a job offer letter for Dr. McElroy was altered and sent to her without my advance knowledge. The altered draft retained my electronic signature, but reduced the appointment from an earlier-discussed multiyear term to one.
Show threadJust MeJul 23, 2023

@jayrosen_nyu
#AltText4You 8/8
⚫ On Thursday, July 21, 2023, I shared related materials with university legal staff. I was pleased to see that the President then resigned Friday, July 22. Texas A&M cannot have its leaders misleading the faculty, public, or policymakers about how we conduct business.

I request a full and independent investigation of these incidents be conducted, lest they be repeated.

Show threadRob HoneycuttJul 23, 2023

@jayrosen_nyu

Ho—lee—Fk

This is the very definition of "insidious."

Show threadDaveJul 25, 2023
@jayrosen_nyu Amazing