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The Brown and White Vol. 134 No. 1 Friday, February 2, 2018 ‘All the Lehigh News First’ By KLAUDIA JAZWINSKA Editor in Chief James Braxton Peterson, the direc-tor of Africana studies and a profes-sor of English, has been confirmed as the Lehigh faculty member who was accused of sexual and other miscon-duct last semester, according to an email sent to faculty and staff by the Office of the Provost. The university conducted an inves-tigation into allegations made by mul-tiple individuals against Peterson, and investigators’ reports were pro-vided to Provost Patrick Farrell. Before Farrell made a formal decision about the case, Peterson informed the university he was unconditional-ly resigning his position. “While Dr. Peterson’s resignation made disciplinary action moot,” the statement read, “(Farrell), following his own review of the investigative findings, determined there was suf-ficient cause to initiate the process that could result in revocation of ten-ure and termination of employment.” The university did not direct-ly inform the student body about Peterson’s departure. In the fall, Peterson was listed as the instructor for English 318, Contemporary Black Poetics. After the initial email was sent out to JAMES PETERSON RESIGNS the campus community in November stating a faculty member was on paid leave after being accused of sexu-al misconduct, the course instructor was changed to professor Monica Miller on the Lehigh Portal. Several individuals confirmed anonymously to The Brown and White last semester that they had reported Peterson for sexual miscon-duct. The Brown and White reached out to Peterson and President John Simon and has not received a response as of publication. Farrell, Lehigh University Police Chief Jason Schiffer and English department chair Dawn Keetley declined to pro-vide further comment. Peterson was supposed to be on sabbatical this semester, as he was selected as the Spring 2018 Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellow at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. According to the Hutchins Center website, the fellowship is given to those who “demonstrate exceptional capacity for productive scholarship and an exceptional cre-ative ability in the arts, in connection with Hiphop.” The Brown and White has not yet received a response regarding Peterson’s fellowship status. As of Jan. 18, his page on the Hutchins Center website has been taken down. Peterson was hired by Lehigh in the summer of 2011 and, according to the Africana studies page, was “charged with reinvigorating and expanding the program in unprece-dented ways.” Under his leadership, a cluster of new faculty was hired between 2012 and 2015, and many new courses were added to the pro-gram. Peterson is the author of sever-al books, including “The Hip Hop Underground and African American Culture,” “Prison Industrial Complex for Beginners” and “Hip Hop Headphones: A Scholar’s Critical Playlist.” He founded Hip Hop Scholars, Inc., an association of hip See PETERSON Page 2 IFC announces ban on hard alcohol By JESSICA HICKS News Editor The Lehigh University Interfraternity Council executive board placed an indefinite ban on hard alcohol at IFC-sponsored events beginning Jan. 16. According to the Lehigh Greeks blog, any chapters found in vio-lation of the ban are subject to, “at a minimum, an indefinite sus-pension of all chapter activities as determined by the IFC executive board.” Ian Davis, ’18, the council pres-ident, said the decision-making process that led to the hard alcohol ban began last semester with a two week trial period. Davis said he spoke to members of the fra-ternity and sorority communities at Michigan State University and Ohio State University to see what this indefinite ban might look like. The suspension of fraternity activity at Michigan State was self-imposed by the university’s interfraternity council while the suspension at Ohio State was enacted by university administra-tors. “I used that to get an idea of the national landscape,” Davis said. “I think everything that happens at Lehigh is a very similar situation to what we see at a lot of other schools.” Davis said though many Lehigh chapter presidents were on board with the ban, enforcement is dif-ficult. “When you’re dealing with smart college kids who like pushing the limit, they’ll try and find the technicalities that they can get around,” he said. In his eyes, developing a sense of trust among chapter presidents is a large component of the policy’s success, in addition to talking with general members face to face. Davis said he, along with other See IFC Page 2 Cate Peterson/Managing Editor In this Oct. 2, 2015, file photo, James Peterson, the director of Africana studies and a professor of English, sits in his office in Drown Hall. Peterson resigned from his position after he was accused of sexual misconduct by several individuals. Q&A: Meet LUPD Chief Jason Schiffer By CATE PETERSON Managing Editor See Q&A Page 4 Africana studies director accused of sexual misconduct New Lehigh University Police chief and former Bethlehem Police chief Jason D. Schiffer sat down with The Brown and White to discuss his plans for the future of LUPD and the cam-pus community. Q: You served as the Bethlehem police chief from 2011-2013, how do you think that will help you to serve the Lehigh community as the Lehigh police chief? Jason D. Schiffer: Well, certain-ly my experience leading a police department, but I think probably the most defining thing that will help me as the Lehigh police chief is my years as a beat cop here in South Bethlehem — that defined me more, I think, than the role of police chief did. I was the neighborhood cop here on the South Side, and my beat was the area that surrounds Lehigh University. So years of experience ,working in this exact neighborhood, working with the business owners, the community leaders, stakeholders on campus, working with students and all of the issues and concerns of safety on and off campus. Q: How do you envision the ideal relationship between Lehigh students and LUPD? Schiffer: I would like it to be a relationship of open communica-tion, trust and one where students can look to the Lehigh police depart-ment for guidance and assistance and (know) that we’re there to aid in the entire education process. My goal would be that we’re not just viewed as the enemy or the enforcers of laws, but that there can be some-thing much greater than that… The biggest population here on campus is young adults and we would like to be part of the process to educate them and to provide them with the tools,
Object Description
Title | Brown and White Vol. 134 no. 1 |
Date | 2018-02-02 |
Month | 02 |
Day | 02 |
Year | 2018 |
Volume | 134 |
Issue | 1 |
Type | Newspaper |
Source Repository | Lehigh University |
Coverage | United States, Pennsylvania, Lehigh, South Bethlehem |
LCCN | 7019854 |
Source Repository Code | LYU |
Digital Responsible Institution | Lehigh University |
Digital Responsible Institution Code | LYU |
Issue/Edition Pattern | Semiweekly |
Title Essay | Published twice a week during the college year by the students of Lehigh University |
Description
Title | Page 1 |
Date | 2018-02-02 |
FullText | The Brown and White Vol. 134 No. 1 Friday, February 2, 2018 ‘All the Lehigh News First’ By KLAUDIA JAZWINSKA Editor in Chief James Braxton Peterson, the direc-tor of Africana studies and a profes-sor of English, has been confirmed as the Lehigh faculty member who was accused of sexual and other miscon-duct last semester, according to an email sent to faculty and staff by the Office of the Provost. The university conducted an inves-tigation into allegations made by mul-tiple individuals against Peterson, and investigators’ reports were pro-vided to Provost Patrick Farrell. Before Farrell made a formal decision about the case, Peterson informed the university he was unconditional-ly resigning his position. “While Dr. Peterson’s resignation made disciplinary action moot,” the statement read, “(Farrell), following his own review of the investigative findings, determined there was suf-ficient cause to initiate the process that could result in revocation of ten-ure and termination of employment.” The university did not direct-ly inform the student body about Peterson’s departure. In the fall, Peterson was listed as the instructor for English 318, Contemporary Black Poetics. After the initial email was sent out to JAMES PETERSON RESIGNS the campus community in November stating a faculty member was on paid leave after being accused of sexu-al misconduct, the course instructor was changed to professor Monica Miller on the Lehigh Portal. Several individuals confirmed anonymously to The Brown and White last semester that they had reported Peterson for sexual miscon-duct. The Brown and White reached out to Peterson and President John Simon and has not received a response as of publication. Farrell, Lehigh University Police Chief Jason Schiffer and English department chair Dawn Keetley declined to pro-vide further comment. Peterson was supposed to be on sabbatical this semester, as he was selected as the Spring 2018 Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellow at Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African and African American Research. According to the Hutchins Center website, the fellowship is given to those who “demonstrate exceptional capacity for productive scholarship and an exceptional cre-ative ability in the arts, in connection with Hiphop.” The Brown and White has not yet received a response regarding Peterson’s fellowship status. As of Jan. 18, his page on the Hutchins Center website has been taken down. Peterson was hired by Lehigh in the summer of 2011 and, according to the Africana studies page, was “charged with reinvigorating and expanding the program in unprece-dented ways.” Under his leadership, a cluster of new faculty was hired between 2012 and 2015, and many new courses were added to the pro-gram. Peterson is the author of sever-al books, including “The Hip Hop Underground and African American Culture,” “Prison Industrial Complex for Beginners” and “Hip Hop Headphones: A Scholar’s Critical Playlist.” He founded Hip Hop Scholars, Inc., an association of hip See PETERSON Page 2 IFC announces ban on hard alcohol By JESSICA HICKS News Editor The Lehigh University Interfraternity Council executive board placed an indefinite ban on hard alcohol at IFC-sponsored events beginning Jan. 16. According to the Lehigh Greeks blog, any chapters found in vio-lation of the ban are subject to, “at a minimum, an indefinite sus-pension of all chapter activities as determined by the IFC executive board.” Ian Davis, ’18, the council pres-ident, said the decision-making process that led to the hard alcohol ban began last semester with a two week trial period. Davis said he spoke to members of the fra-ternity and sorority communities at Michigan State University and Ohio State University to see what this indefinite ban might look like. The suspension of fraternity activity at Michigan State was self-imposed by the university’s interfraternity council while the suspension at Ohio State was enacted by university administra-tors. “I used that to get an idea of the national landscape,” Davis said. “I think everything that happens at Lehigh is a very similar situation to what we see at a lot of other schools.” Davis said though many Lehigh chapter presidents were on board with the ban, enforcement is dif-ficult. “When you’re dealing with smart college kids who like pushing the limit, they’ll try and find the technicalities that they can get around,” he said. In his eyes, developing a sense of trust among chapter presidents is a large component of the policy’s success, in addition to talking with general members face to face. Davis said he, along with other See IFC Page 2 Cate Peterson/Managing Editor In this Oct. 2, 2015, file photo, James Peterson, the director of Africana studies and a professor of English, sits in his office in Drown Hall. Peterson resigned from his position after he was accused of sexual misconduct by several individuals. Q&A: Meet LUPD Chief Jason Schiffer By CATE PETERSON Managing Editor See Q&A Page 4 Africana studies director accused of sexual misconduct New Lehigh University Police chief and former Bethlehem Police chief Jason D. Schiffer sat down with The Brown and White to discuss his plans for the future of LUPD and the cam-pus community. Q: You served as the Bethlehem police chief from 2011-2013, how do you think that will help you to serve the Lehigh community as the Lehigh police chief? Jason D. Schiffer: Well, certain-ly my experience leading a police department, but I think probably the most defining thing that will help me as the Lehigh police chief is my years as a beat cop here in South Bethlehem — that defined me more, I think, than the role of police chief did. I was the neighborhood cop here on the South Side, and my beat was the area that surrounds Lehigh University. So years of experience ,working in this exact neighborhood, working with the business owners, the community leaders, stakeholders on campus, working with students and all of the issues and concerns of safety on and off campus. Q: How do you envision the ideal relationship between Lehigh students and LUPD? Schiffer: I would like it to be a relationship of open communica-tion, trust and one where students can look to the Lehigh police depart-ment for guidance and assistance and (know) that we’re there to aid in the entire education process. My goal would be that we’re not just viewed as the enemy or the enforcers of laws, but that there can be some-thing much greater than that… The biggest population here on campus is young adults and we would like to be part of the process to educate them and to provide them with the tools, |
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