David Massey and Northeastern University
Posted by fredtopeka on April 8, 2008
Professor David Massey, who was the chair of my department, was forced to resign earlier this year. The university did not follow the guidelines in the faculty handbook and has yet to say exactly what he did wrong. There is now a petition site up. If you went to NU and especially if you know Dave, please go and sign the petition. Dave is a good person and teacher, he deserves better. Even if you don’t know him you should sign it, to tell the university that they should follow their own rules.
Update: I haven’t been able to get into the support Massey site for a while, I wonder what’s happening? I do have a bit more info here and there is a quick update in this article (if nothing happens, Professor Massey should be back sometime at the beginning of next year):
The Faculty Senate is als expected to act on the grievance filed this summer by professor David Massey, who is seeking to reverse his suspension, according to an article that ran in the May 221 issue of the Northeastern News., Massey was suspended March 3 following an undisclosed complaint filed through the Office of Affirmative Action and Diversity, prompting several faculty members and students to question whether due process was followed.
Neither Massey, his attorney nor university officials have discussed or disclosed the reason Massey, the chair of the mathematics department, was suspended.
Morrison would not comment on any grievances before the Senate, citing their “sensitive nature,” but confirmed the Senate’s procedure for responding to them, which is detailed in the Faculty Handbook.
When responding to grievances, the Senate Agenda Committee appoints an ad hoc Mediation Committee, which meets confidentially and seeks to find a resolution.
9/28/08 Update: The support Massey site is back up, so go add your name to the list.
2009 Update: Dave is back. Welcome back Dave. Dave’s web site is here.
Another update: It seems the support Massey site is down –I don’t know if this is temporary or final (this would make sense since he’s back).
Misha said
The wheels of justice are turning slower and slower, where is the spirit of the Bill of Rights, specifically of the 6th and 7th amendments? Nobody remembers of the first amendment any more, it had been flushed down one of the university toilets long time ago, after being torn apart, soaked in urine and smeared with excrements. It looks to me like the time of petitions is over, and you, the people should take more decisive actions. You should learn, for example, from the clerical workers of Harvard and get unionized, to protect yourself from further humiliating oppression by the shameless and cruel administration. All the teachers at Northeastern who are sympathetic to David Massey (and I am sure they are the overwhelming majority) should go on strike till he is fully reinstalled. You have to insist that the accusations against him be made public and resolved in a legal manner, not secretly behind the closed doors, that he should be assumed innocent till proven guilty, and his punishment should be in proportion to his crime, if he is found guilty. You should demonstrate to David’s tormentors that they are nothing but a bunch of dispensable bureaucrats, and you, the teachers are the real flesh and blood of the school.