The UT-AAUP has been involved in a number of cases where the Jacobs Administration required faculty and staff to appear for investigation and interrogation of vague and unspecified allegations, often from anonymous sources. Faculty and staff may be asked to appear before a designated administrator for unfounded and false allegations of sexual harassment, theft of UT property, alcohol, drugs, assault, misuse of UT computers and so forth. The list is long and the Jacobs Administration does not need much reason to investigate and interrogate an unsuspecting faculty or staff member.

UT-AAUP members are advised not to appear for questioning before any administrator without first consulting with the UT-AAUP Executive Director Mary Jane Erard, President Harvey Wolff, or Grievance Chair Don Wedding. If pressured to appear, remain calm and quiet except to ask for AAUP representation. Anything you say will be written down and may be used against you. There is a risk that the interrogator will inaccurately record your comments. Nevertheless, what is recorded by the administrator may be presumed true by the Administration, accurate or not. To avoid such complications it is important to have a UT-AAUP representative present. It is a violation of your rights and the Collective Bargaining Agreements for the Administration to deny you such UT-AAUP representation. The UT-AAUP has filed grievances and is seeking arbitration on this issue.

There have been cases where unsuspecting and innocent faculty have met alone with administrators in a good faith effort to resolve unfounded allegations.  This is a mistake because the Jacobs Administration, particularly HR, may not deal in good faith. Faculty explanations and comments have been twisted and used for filing formal charges and for suspending the accused from campus.  Although these formal charges may not pass the smell test, such will not matter because the administrator in charge may be compelled to act out the charade and move forward.  A number of faculty and staff have been suspended from campus and forbidden from teaching classes, including DL, and from using their office, computer, UT library, UT credit union, UT pharmacy, the UT Rec Center, and so forth. One suspension lasted for almost a year before the person was exonerated. These suspensions are in violation of faculty rights and the Collective Bargaining Agreements and are not supported under Ohio law even though the Administration cites Ohio Code. The UT-AAUP has filed grievances and is seeking arbitration on this issue.

Faculty are further advised that they have no right of privacy as to their UT telephone, UT email, or UT computer. Faculty are cautioned that their UT phone conversations, UT email, and UT computer use may be monitored and recorded. Off campus email accounts are recommended, but do not use your UT computer to access such accounts.

Feel free to contact the UT-AAUP any time you are approached by the Administration for an investigation and interrogation.  My email, donwedding@toast.net, is checked several times a day including weekends. Leave an off campus email address and telephone number where you can be contacted.