Roquemore's curious account of the Schrader affair: "the gene pool"

Nov. 4:
     1. THE SCHRADER AFFAIR. You’ll recall that, at last week’s board meeting, IVC President Glenn Roquemore was smacked around by Board President Don Wagner. As he walked to the podium to make a presentation regarding IVC’s 25th Anniversary celebration, Wagner suddenly declared a break to allow everyone to go to the back of the room to get a piece of celebratory cake (donated, I think, by the IVC cafeteria). Glenn never did get to show his video.
     So he showed up today (at the Senate meeting) with that very video. He played it. It was pretty good, I guess. At one point, cheerleaders seemed to be screaming something about “big boobs.” That seemed perfectly natural, though a little surprising. (A colleague behind me groaned.)
     Only later did I realize that they must have been referring to “big blue” (blue is among IVC’s colors).
     Craig seemed to want Glenn to stick around for a Q and A. Oh really?
     People wanted light shed on the Dean Kathy Schrader situation. Roquemore was asked several questions about it. Glenn presented quite a yarn about the episode. You'll recall that Dean Schrader was called into Glenn's office about a problem: something objectionable that was said during an Oct. 22 meeting of the School of Biological Sciences (over which Schrader presided). Yes, Glenn's wife was mentioned during the meeting, he said, but "that was not the issue." He has always had an understanding with her (i.e., his wife), he said, that she would be treated just as any instructor is treated. –That sort of thing.
     He managed to say that with a straight face. It was remarkable.
     No, said Glenn, the problem wasn’t a remark about Glenn’s “spouse”; rather, it was a remark concerning classified employees: something about being at the “bottom of the gene pool.”
     The bio faculty have consistently told me that, when it became clear that something about the School meeting had upset Roquemore, they could not think what happened that should cause offense. What could it possibly be? They told me that Schrader has never been the type to joke about people at their expense. If anything, she attempts to suppress such talk. So what was this about? The joke about Kiana?
     I spoke with some of my bio friends after the meeting, and they expressed skepticism regarding some of Glenn’s account. They remained puzzled regarding the remark during the Oct. 22 meeting that caused offense. They were sure that Schrader had not made any remark at classified’s expense.
     A couple of hours ago, one of the biologists emailed me, explaining that "they" had listened to the first 45 minutes of the tape of the school meeting in question. (I have not heard it, though I have had at least two or three persons who were at the meeting describe the meeting to me.)
     In the email, “they” offer the following analysis:

Glenn’s account of the meeting is not truthful. The interesting parts of the meeting concern the discussion of the dedication (last week) of the Chemistry Annex and the discussion of a “lab coordinator.” One faculty member opined that he would not choose a “coordinator from that pool,” but it is very unclear what pool is being discussed. I commented that his pool reference is to the shallow end of the gene pool, a comment that is not audible to me. Kathy [Schrader?] then comments on not picking someone from the shallow end of the gene pool, which seems like a response to my comment, not a comment about any group in particular. Knowing me, I was probably commenting generally, not about a particular group, and if it was about a particular group it was about the administration not the classified staff. (In part, this is a paraphrase.)

     According to Roquemore’s account, Schrader was called into his office and confronted with the tape. He played it. She said nothing, he said. She then said that she was resigning. Later, when she was leaving, she said that he would have to fire her. Then, he said, she went off and locked herself into a building.
     Roquemore’s story involves Schrader in some sort of confrontation with a classified employee. It was his understanding, he said, that Schrader "threatened her.”
     Again, I have spoken with several bio faculty, and none can imagine Schrader threatening anyone.
     I do believe that one of our readers left a comment recently that provides the url to the “tape.” You might want to give it a listen. (I can't seem to access it. Besides, my hearing isn't very good.)

* * *

     I noticed that at least one of our readers imagines that I have some sort of relationship with Dean Schrader (I guess), who, we learned today, is on paid administrative leave. In fact, I have never met the woman.
     In my experience, Coronas and blog surfing just don't mix.

     2. A200 CONSTRUCTION-FACULTY ZONE.

Gosh, when we're not dodgin' "disturbed," scissors-wielding students, we're trying not to breathe particles of who-knows-what!

Workers get masks. Faculty (and students)--not so much.