MIT professor eats his words

He said he would not eat until the Massachusetts Institute of Technology acknowledged its racial prejudices and offered him tenure, but after 12 days, James Sherley, a black associate professor of biological engineering, ingested his words.

Sherley's hunger strike, which began Feb. 5, ended Feb. 16.

It wasn't recorded what else he ate besides his promise to starve, but MIT officials are no doubt relieved.

MIT administrators, no doubt trying to put the best spin on the situation, issued a statement saying that Sherley's actions have "focused attention on the effects that race may play in the hiring, advancement and experience of under-represented minority faculty," according to MIT's student newspaper.

Sherley may have gone hungry, but he did not stay silent.

In an e-mail sent to colleagues a day before he ended his fast, Sherley compared the actions of the MIT administration that denied his bid for tenure to "the water hoses, dogs and billy-clubs of the civil rights struggles," the MIT Tech reported.

That may have been taking things a bit far.

In its news coverage, The Tech included the response of one MIT chemistry professor who responded with an e-mail to Sherley saying "however racist the motivations of our colleagues, any comparison between you and the victims of water hoses, dogs and billy-clubs is sickening."

And for the record, Sherley's demands are "still on the table," The Tech reported.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country...

Another professor alleging racial discrimination, this time at the University of Oregon, chose a more traditional route of complaining: the all-mighty lawsuit.

Yesterday's news brought word that a former assistant professor at the University of Oregon (read: no tenure) has filed a lawsuit against five professors at the school, alleging racial discrimination.

Late winter is apparently the season for professors to air grievances.

According to The Oregon Daily Emerald, Paula Rogers, who worked in the University's East Asian Languages and Literatures department from 2001 to 2006, had her employment contract renewed for only one year, while a weaker candidate was awarded a three-year contract.

Rogers is half-Japanese and was born in Japan.

"In paperwork filed Feb. 12 by Rogers' lawyer, Marianne Dugan, Rogers alleges that she was subjected to a hostile work environment and that the defendants' actions have caused Rogers to suffer from emotional distress, depression, stress, anxiety and humiliation," The Daily Emerald noted.

However, "the lawsuit asks for punitive damages and punishment of the defendants to stop others from discriminating based on race, but no dollar amount is listed."

And in the middle of the nation...

Certain goings-on between student athletes and football recruits were taped and then circulated around campus residence halls during a recruiting weekend sometime in the recent past, according to The News Record of the University of Cincinnati.

It all sounds a bit hazy, though.

The News Record is reporting that a "concerned Athletic Department employee" penned a letter that was sent among other places to the offices of The Cincinnati Enquirer about a rumor that "a number of prospective student-athletes and current football players engaged in sexual acts with a former soccer player."

In the big-money business that is college athletics, it doesn't seem surprising that the U of Cinn. would bend over backwards to show recruits a good time.

Undoubtedly, it's not alone.

Nevertheless, until a tape is produced, it's hard to know who's telling the truth and who's been writing potentially poisonous letters to the Enquirer.