No, Dr. Jordan, I will NOT lay down my “weapon of words!”

I. King Jordan released the following statement shortly after the Board of Trustees voted to remove Fernandes as President-Elect. My comments are in italics.

“The struggle during the past several months has been very painful for all of us. I am deeply troubled by the divisions among us and by the anger that overtook reason, respect, and civility.”

Yes, I totally agree with you, Dr. Jordan, it has been very painful, thanks to your drawn-out coercive actions in response to the protestors. I am deeply troubled as well by the divisions among the Deaf Community that you and Fernandes have purposely instigated and encouraged by your hurtful comments in the media over the past few months in order to shore up support for Fernandes.

Your completely unreasonable actions and comments during this crisis have shown a remarkable lack of respect and civility towards the Deaf Community. I totally agree with your statement!

“Now we must all come together for the sake of Gallaudet, particularly for the sake of Gallaudet’s students–those who are our students now and those who will be students in the future.”

Dr. Jordan, surely you jest! We HAVE already all come together for the sake of Gallaudet! We came out after hearing the calls of “Unity for Gallaudet” and we responded with words of support, donations, and volunteers! We ARE here for the students of Gallaudet, those who are and those who will be! We care for Gallaudet whereas your actions and comments seem otherwise.

“I want to thank Jane Fernandes for her dedication and courage and her standing up for what’s right. I am personally saddened–for Gallaudet and for Dr. Jane K. Fernandes–that she will not have the opportunity to show Gallaudet and the world what a great president she could have been.”

Fernandes standing up for what’s “right?!” The right thing for Fernandes would have been to resign the moment the faculty announced its vote in favor of asking her to resign. It’s one thing to ignore the wishes of the students; it’s another to ignore the wishes of the faculty. Without the two, hand in hand, Gallaudet is all but unmanagable by any one.

I am more saddened, Dr. Jordan, that you consistently placed your personal interest in Fernandes’ presidency above the interests of not only the students but of the faculty and staff as well.

“Her vision and her plans to make that vision come to life would have guided the university we all love into a bright future. The Board of Trustees saw that promise when they selected Dr. Fernandes as president.”

Dr. Jordan, is it really necessary to bring up the fact that while Provost, Fernandes saw a significant drop in graduating students going on to work or advanced education? That Fernandes shuffled her feet on implementing diversity inititiaves until it was suddenly a major issue after her selection?

Is your definition of a ”bright future” one that entails faculty and staff dreading every meeting with Fernandes for fear of being told they were being let go a week before their full retirement benefits were to take place?

Well, Dr. Jordan, I want no part of that “bright future” as you paint it and neither did over 80% of the campus community.  

“In order to resolve the current stalemate the Board has deemed it necessary to steer a different course, and I accept their decision.”

Dr. Jordan, it must be rather painful for you to admit that you had to see the power that you wielded over the Board to suddenly dissipate over the span of months, if not weeks. However, one can only be pushed so far, even if one owed fealty to you, before they realize just what a dangerous and destructive path you’ve led them on. The Board should be applauded for finally coming to its senses and deciding to go against your wishes.

“Now we must all put down our weapons of words and seek to restore a sense of community.”

No, Dr. Jordan, I will NOT lay down my weapon of words so long as you continue to portray the protest as one that was “illegal.”

Nor will I lay down my weapon of words until there is a full accounting of your administration’s actions during the course of the protests.

Nor will I lay down my weapon of words until there is a suitable answer to all of those allegations of financial improprieties committed by your administration.

You will no longer be president in little more than two months; however, you will STILL be liable for the conduct and behavior of those under your tenure.“

“In my Town Hall speech last November I said there is more that unites us than divides us. I think we lost sight of that for a time and we must work together to refocus on the core values that unite us.

I whole-heartedly agree with you, Dr. Jordan! There is much more that unites us than divides us! I also agree with you that you and your administration has lost sight of that! Your support, reinforcement, and acceptance of Fernandes portraying to the national media that this was an issue of cultural identity and of her “not being deaf enough” in an attempt to obscure the plain and simple fact that she is an incompetent administrator proves your very own point that you and your administration lost sight of the need to emphasize unity over divisiveness!

After all, the slogan of the protestors was “Unity for Gallaudet,” was it not?

“We should not look for a resolution to the struggle of recent months in terms of winners and losers. If we do, Gallaudet and our students will be the losers.”

First, thank you for cribbing the notion of “winners and losers” from my own recent posting.

Second, I do agree with this final statement of yours.

I wish you the best, Dr. Jordan, after your retirement. I have no doubt that you will be in strong demand as a public speaker for a variety of organizations.

However, I do likewise wish that, at every public speaking engagement you perform, a Deaf person in the audience will stand up and say:

“We were the ones who made you what you are today and you turned your back on us in the end. Shame on you, I King Jordan, shame on you.”