MARYLAND — A national journalism organization
censured a
Maryland university July 23 after the school failed to renew the newspaper and
yearbook adviser's contract.
The College Media Advisers Board of Directors voted to censure Morgan State
University in Baltimore after an investigation conducted by the
organization.
CMA works with both professional and educational media organizations
throughout the country. The organization adopted the "Adviser Advocate
Policy" to extend help to member advisers and establish a formal process
for dealing with situations like Morgan State. The university is the the eighth
school to be censured since the policy was put into place in 1998.
CMA issues censures through the policy after investigation and offers
mediation. Once a school is censured however, the institution must comply with a
series of demands to get the sanction removed. As part of the censure, CMA sends
out press releases to local, state and national media informing them of the
school's alleged misconduct.
CMA found "legally questionable" practices were used against
student journalists and adviser Denise Brown according to a letter sent by CMA
to university President Earl Richardson.
Among other concerns, CMA officials objected to the university's
replacement for Brown according to the letter. Natasha Lewis' appointment to
Brown's position posed problems for students because she has no journalism
training and has an "assumed" allegiance to an administrator criticized by the
newspaper according to the letter. Lewis works under Taliaferro as an assistant
coordinator in the office of student activities.
Also, CMA stated it is concerned the administration is retaliating against
Brown for the speech of her students.
In an e-mail obtained by CMA, university Vice President for Student Affairs
Ricardo Perry suggested that while Brown's removal was not based entirely
on the work of her students, their performance was a factor.
CMA President Ken Rosenauer called the e-mail a "smoking gun"
and said "there was little doubt along the development of this situation
that administrators were unhappy with the way the newspaper criticized
them."
Rosenauer said in the letter CMA offered to send an adviser advocate to
help "defuse" the situation and act as mediator but the organization
has not received a reply.
According to the censure letter, the school must meet three criterion
before the organization will work to remove the censure. CMA requests that Brown
be reinstated to her original role, the school adopt policies ensuring students
will not face prior review and that there be written guidelines for the
performance of journalism advisers.
Brown's troubles began when Floyd Taliaferro III, director of the
university student center and student activities, wrote a memorandum June 12
informing Brown that renewal of her contract was contingent on his meeting with
reporters from the school's newspaper, the Spokesman, about
published stories.
The stories, three of which were editorials, questioned the handling of
student government funds including inaccuracies in the budget.
A week later, another university official sent Brown a letter explaining
that although she had "helped to significantly improve the quality of life" for
students and faculty, her contract would not be renewed.
Chris Evans, CMA adviser advocate, said the organization has done all it
can and it is waiting to hear back from the university.
"I would hope Morgan State would contact us and work with us to remove the
censure," said Evans who investigated the case. "We want to help them
improve."
By Christopher Carter, SPLC staff writer
