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The Daily Northwestern DAILYNORTHWESTERN.COM
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Find us online @thedailynu
In Focus
Northwestern visiting professor’s past raises questions about hiring process By Ally MUTNICK
daily senior staffer @allymutnick
An Ohio State University investigator found last year the then-chair of the university’s English department had “created a hostile work environment” that made female administrative staff feel “harassed and intimidated.” That English professor, Sebastian Knowles, is now a visiting professor at Northwestern for Spring Quarter 2015. A series of interviews conducted by the investigator with department staff painted Knowles as “volatile” and described violations of Ohio State’s policies on sexual harassment and workplace violence. The investigator
found Knowles threatened and intimidated department staff. According to the report, staff said he initiated “inappropriate and unwelcome physical contact” and made “inappropriate comments of a sexual nature” on several occasions. Knowles refutes these claims and any wrongdoing. In a written rebuttal, he admits to losing his temper and cursing at staff, but attributes this to stress brought on by an illness. He denies making sexual comments, claiming they were taken out of context, and said the staff members themselves initiated inappropriate sexual
remarks. NU said it was unaware of the allegations against Knowles but will review the matter. In interviews, NU administrators said it’s difficult to learn professors’ past disciplinary records in a hiring process complicated by privacy laws and heavily focused on candidates’ academic merit. “If someone misbehaves at some institution, there are not good mechanisms for communicating that,” said mathematics Prof. John Franks, the Weinberg senior associate dean for » See hiring, page 6
Photo illustration by Sean Su and Jackie Marthouse/Daily Senior Staffers
Aldermen select SAFE as new animal shelter tenant By Marissa Page
the daily northwestern @marissahpage
Aldermen chose Saving Animals for Evanston as the new tenant for the Evanston Animal Shelter on Monday. The selection will now go in front of City Council on May 26 for final approval. The Human Services Committee recommended the city continue to fund the shelter until October 1, at which point SAFE will support all operations using funds collected from adoption fees. The vote on SAFE was postponed from an April 6 meeting, because the committee was unsure whether specific enough guidelines had been set for the new organization that would take over the space. The six aldermen on the committee included newly elected Ald. Brian
Housing staffer charged with aggravated assault
Police arrested a Northwestern housing staffer Friday morning after he allegedly displayed a knife and threatened a Sodexo
Miller (9th). Miller was sworn in Monday night before the meeting in front of a crowd of about 40 people at a special City Council meeting. The eight other aldermen voted unanimously to confirm Miller after Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl chose Miller on Friday out of five aldermanic applicants. Miller, chief of staff of Cook County’s 13th district commissioner, replaced Coleen Burrus, who left council last month to take a job at Princeton University. He will serve out the rest of Burrus’ term. The search for a new organization to run the shelter began in May 2014, after the city severed ties with the shelter’s previous operator, Community Animal Rescue Effort. CARE was voted out of the shelter in April 2014 following concerns about its 45 percent euthanasia rate for dogs and its lack of cooperation with the city. In the interim, Evanston police and
volunteers have run the shelter. “When (CARE) left, the shelter was thrown into a state of flux,” said Evanston resident Emma Smith, who has volunteered at the shelter for over a year. “Thanks to the competency and ability of the women who developed Saving Animals for Evanston, Evanston received the organization that perfectly fit its needs.” Several other volunteers with SAFE, as well as aldermen, voiced their support of the organizations at the meeting. “This is an effort that has been going on now for … a long time, and for everyone who’s been involved I know it’s been a really tough road with ups and downs, but I think we’ve landed in the right place,” Ald. Judy Fiske (1st) said. “I’ve always had confidence that SAFE folks could do a great job, their hearts are in the right place, they’re experienced and they have the trust of
the volunteers.” The committee unanimously approved the motion, which calls for city manager Wally Bobkiewicz to negotiate a two-year contract with SAFE. The organization also plans to
change its name to the Evanston Animal Shelter Association.
employee. Maurice Henry, 45, told the Sodexo employee he was going to “kill him” after they got into a verbal confrontation, University Police Deputy Chief Dan McAleer said. McAleer said the Sodexo worker arrived at Sargent Hall to check in for work and was unable to enter the building because
it was locked. The worker saw Henry sitting on a couch inside and knocked on the door so Henry would open it, but he did not, police said. When the worker finally gained access to Sargent, he asked Henry why he did not open the door, McAleer said. After the two started arguing, Henry pushed the Sodexo employee and then pulled out a
knife, police said. McAleer said there was a witness who observed the encounter from about 30 feet away. Henry had multiple NU keys and a WildCARD, which the police took, McAleer said. Police arrested Henry and took him to the UP station, McAleer said. He was released on a recognizance bond and
charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 8. University spokesman Al Cubbage and Paul Riel, executive director of Residential Services, deferred their comments to McAleer.
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
Julia Jacobs/The Daily Northwestern
new to the ninth City clerk Rodney Greene swears in Brian Miller as 9th Ward alderman. The new alderman took his seat on City Council for a Human Services Committee meeting Monday.
Julia Jacobs contributed reporting. marissapage2018@u.northwestern.edu
— Tyler Pager
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