Faculty votes unanimously to repudiate statement

The Rice faculty on Tuesday, Oct. 29, unanimously repudiated “any statement by a Rice official that might seem to imply that the University discriminates” and reaffirmed the university’s policy of nondiscrimination.

The vote came one day after a Chronicle of Higher Education article appeared online and included reporting on an interview with Ken Hatfield, head football coach, on the topic of gay athletes.

The issue was added to the agenda as the first item of a meeting of the general faculty. Rice President Malcolm Gillis opened with a resolute statement.

“We do not have a test for sexual orientation at this university,” he said to the faculty. “We do not have a test for students. We do not have a test for faculty.

“We do not have a test for staff or any other part of the university, including athletics. And” he said, striking the podium for emphasis, “we are not going to have one, ever.”

The faculty, as a demonstration of its exact intent, then chose to include in the resolution the precise definition of “repudiates.” It then immediately voted unanimously — with the president for the first time exercising his right to vote as a faculty member — to approve the full resolution:

Whereas a story in the 1 November 2002 Chronicle of Higher Education might mislead the public into believing that Rice University condones discrimination,

Be it therefore resolved that the Rice University faculty repudiates any statement by a Rice official that might seem to imply that the University discriminates, and
Be it therefore further resolved that the Rice University faculty unanimous reaffirms the University’s non-discrimination policy 815-96, which states:

Rice university does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or veteran status in its admissions, its educational programs, or employment of faculty or staff.
[“repudiates,” from repudium divorce: 1. to divorce or separate formally from; 2. to refuse to have anything to do with: disown; 3a. to refuse to accept: esp. to rejects as unauthorized or as having no binding force; 3b. to reject as untrue or unjust; 4. to refuse to acknowledge or pay]

Exactly 24 hours earlier, on the afternoon the story appeared, President Gillis had sent by e-mail a letter to the Chronicle of Higher Education reaffirming Rice’s policy on nondiscrimination, stating that he had obtained Coach Hatfield’s promise to wholeheartedly carry out that policy and closing, “No student at Rice will be denied equal participation on a team based on sexual orientation, period.”

The president’s letter to the publication was accompanied by one from Coach Hatfield committing himself to carrying out the policy sincerely and completely, and apologizing to the university and the community.

Last week’s Rice News article on President Malcom Gillis’ actions concerning Coach Hatfield’s comments.