Patricia Kunkle – Loyal to IKJ or to the BoT?

There have been much speculation about how the President’s Office is the contact point for the Board of Trustees and about the particular role played by Patti Kunkle, Executive Assistant to IKJ and Board Liaison.

Kunkle’s role was addressed in the administration’s “Facts and Myths” statement on May 5th:

“Myth:  Patricia Kunkle, who is liaison to the Gallaudet Board of Trustees and who is the executive assistant to President I. King Jordan, had an undue influence in the selection process, representing Dr. Jordan’s preference that Dr. Jane K. Fernandes would be selected the next president. 

Fact:  Patricia Kunkle was asked by the Board to serve as assistant to the Presidential Search Committee.  She was bound by the same rules of confidentiality that applied to all members of the Committee.  She did not talk to Dr. Jordan about the details of the search, nor did she convey any of Dr. Jordan’s wishes or preferences to the Committee. She has served as the President’s executive assistant since 1999 and board liaison since 2003. She has demonstrated herself to be a person of integrity and high confidence.”

[Edit: I recently received an email from a credible source saying that Patti Kunkle herself was likely the author, if not one of the contributors, of the above citation! -PI] 

First, the Board of Trustees was incredibly naive in asking the executive assistant to the president to serve as an assistant to the presidential search committee.

Second, to whom does Kunkle owe her loyalty to? Certainly not to the BoT but to her own boss, I King Jordan. Note that this statement was issued back in May and does not address certain other issues, namely whether Kunkle intercepted or modified communications intended for the BoT either under her own initiative or under IKJ’s orders.

More importantly, Private Investigator has it on good authority that since May, Kunkle was actively and closely involved in working with Jane Norman and consulting firms to produce pro-administration/con-protest spins on behalf of not only her boss, IKJ, but for Jane Fernandes as well.

How is it considered ethical much less a sign of intergrity for Kunkle, who is supposed to be a neutral facilitator in communications between the public and with the BoT and yet, at the same time, is actively involved in planning and promoting her boss(es) agendas? 

How can any reasonable person believe that Kunkle can serve in the role as executive assistant to the president, which demands unwavering loyalty,  and be neutral in her role as liaison for the BoT?

How can any reasonable person believe that the BoT can effectively govern the university if it is not given unfiltered information?

Apparently, the president and BoT aren’t reasonable people as Kunkle still serves as the liaison, and effectively the coordinator of BoT activities, for the Board to this very day.

Are you a Gallaudet insider and wish to provide information that you feel should be made public but aren’t comfortable going public? Have proof that your friends, family, and associates were wrongly portrayed in public or taken advantage of by the administration? Email me at guprivateinvestigator@gmail.com.