Wednesday, July 10, 2013 // Issue 118, Volume 78
WEEKLY SUMMER EDITION
THE DAILY COUGAR
T H E
O F F I C I A L
S T U D E N T
N E W S PA P E R
O F
T H E
U N I V E R S I T Y
O F
H O U S T O N
S I N C E
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FACULTY
Rehearing possible for decade-long court battle Channler K. Hill Editor in chief
On June 14 the Court ruled on the grounds that university policies are not the same as state law when it comes to reported violations to be protected under the Texas Whistleblower Act. The case began in 1999 when a financial officer approached Stephen Barth, who still teaches in the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel
and Restaurant Management, with allegations that University funds were being mishandled by the college’s then-dean Alan Stutts, Barth said. “He came to me because I was tenured; a staff person doesn’t have that kind of protection.” Barth reported the irregularities to the former vice president of finance, Randy Harris. After he made the report, Stutts was informed and a series of what Barth described as
retaliations, such as denying him merit raises, occurred, according to Barth. On Aug. 25, 2011, the Texas Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Barth, concluding that the University’s retaliation violated the Texas Whistleblower Act, which made the Supreme Court’s ruling sad for the UH community and for the citizens of Texas, Barth said. “(It was) certainly disappointing because we felt like the trial court
had certainly found retaliation, the (Texas) Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the verdict. For the Supreme Court to take this step, they really had to stretch to come up with the opinion that they did,” Barth said. “They essentially said, ‘people in Texas in a public entity cannot rely upon the entities’ internal policies in order to file a complaint and receive protection under the Whistleblower Act.’” A c c o r d i n g t o t h e Te x a s
Whistleblower Act, it “protects public employees who make good f a i t h re p o r t s of violations of law by their employer to an Barth appropriate law enforcement authority. An employer BATTLE continues on page 3
CRIME
BASKETBALL
Arrest made in library incident
Young’s suit could affect son’s eligibility Christopher Shelton Sports editor
PEH matches students with sponsors whose donations provide the child with school supplies and other needs related to their education. Donations to PEH also help to support several healthcare facilities in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab, India. “There is an entire family where the father is a wage earner living on
A lawsuit filed by former UH men’s basketball director of operations Michael Young could have ramifications for his son’s transfer to a Pacific-12 school. Young filed a civil case in Harris County District Court that alleges that UH asked him to “engage in the illegal act of accepting money without performing a service and to violate NCAA rules” when he was reassigned to a community service role this off season, the Houston Chronicle reported. Young signed a new contract, which would have went into effect on June 1, but later changed his mind. Young’s son Joseph, the Cougars’ leading scorer last season, decided to transfer from UH to Oregon. If the NCAA decides to act regarding the lawsuit it could
PENNIES continues on page 3
YOUNG continues on page 5
Natalie Harms Managing editor
Students, faculty and staff franticly exited the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library Tuesday afternoon after the building was closed and evacuated. A f o r m e r Simeon student, identified as John Simeon, 30, is accused of making “inappropriate remarks” to a faculty member, said Interim Associate Vice President and Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communication Richard Bonnin. Yet, Simeon did not threaten to bomb the college or University, police said, which is why no security alert was sent out to the UH community. “Our understanding is that a dispute occurred between an exstudent and a faculty member,” Bonnin said. Simeon, who is in police custody, is charged with making a terroristic threat and criminal trespassing. Honors College students, like liberal studies senior Paula Jaramillo, were displaced from their classes for an hour until the library THREAT continues on page 3
Pennies for Education and Health, a non-profit organization established by two Bauer professors in 2003, seeks to help combat poverty in India by providing funding for education, one child at a time. | Courtesy of Saleha Khumawala
FACULTY
Professors fight poverty with pennies Ellen Goodacre Staff writer
Pennies for Education and Health, a non-profit organization founded by Bauer professors Basheer and Saleha Khumala that provides education and healthcare aid in developing countries, celebrated its decade-long battle against poverty last month in Ahmedabad, India. Basheer and Saleha, who both grew up in Ahmedabad, visited the
area after the Gujarat earthquake in 2003. The two described the devastation as mind-boggling, which inspired them to create PEH and help the people affected.“There were evacuees everywhere, and then their kids,” Basheer said. “So rather than simply going through the channels of schools or parents, the idea (for PEH) came from saying ‘Can we do something more personal, so that we can connect with the child also?’”
PHILANTHROPY
Fraternity cycles across country for cause Chrystal Grant Staff writer
UH’s Beta Nu chapter of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and their national philanthropy organization, Push America, has organized a team of cyclists to raise more than $500,000 to help support people living with disabilities through their 68-day Journey of Hope ride across
the nation. Matthew Docimo and his biking partner Michael Brooks, began in San Francisco and are currently at their halfway mark in Grand Island, Neb. “My influence derives from Sergio Brereda, a member of our fraternity who is disabled,” Brooks said. “Although he is disabled, he continues
to keep going and it is amazing to see so much dedication.” Docimo and Brooks said when they are riding and feel like quitting, they think about the people who are disabled but continue to push through their limitations. “People with disabilities can’t opt out of their disabilities, so who am I to opt out from riding in support of
them?” Brooks said. The duo will continue to ride to Lincoln, Neb. for the next 12 days and are planning to ride cross-country until they arrive in Washington D.C. on Aug. 10. Brooks has raised more than $6,000 and Docimo has raised more CYCLE continues on page 3