Dismissed prof alleges bias

Although Tolagbe Ogunleye has hired a lawyer and filed complaints with the University of Arizona's affirmative action and equal opportunity employment offices to fight the dismissal, Julian Kunnie, the Africana studies acting director, said he does not have the power to fire her and has gone out of his way to support her.

Ogunleye, a black woman, will be officially terminated in May.

"Julian Kunnie never intended to treat me justly, and he publicly boasted that he aimed to get rid of me," Ogunleye wrote to UA President Peter Likins in a letter dated June 6. "I am pleading with you to make sure that I am treated equitably, humanely and that Julian Kunnie will not sabotage my efforts."

Likins would not comment on the situation and referred inquiries to other administrators.

Ogunleye, who received her doctorate at Temple University in Pennsylvania, started at the UA as a visiting professor in August 1995 and was promoted to a tenure-track assistant professor one year later.

Since she was hired, Ogunleye said the yearly peer reviews of her work have been positive, with the exception of Kunnie's reports.

She said that Kunnie, also an African American, is racially and sexually discriminating against her.

"I've been treated unfairly, so I intend to fight," she said.

Kunnie gave her an unsatisfactory employment review and sent her a letter stating he was "recommending non-renewal," Ogunleye said.

When some male faculty members in the department refused to submit their work for Kunnie's review, Ogunleye was reprimanded along with the group, although she said she had followed procedure.

"I chose to cooperate with him," she said. "He eventually reviewed me but gave me a very negative review."

Kunnie would not comment on the review, saying it is a personnel issue.

When combined with other critiques, Ogunleye was given an overall review of "satisfactory," she said.

"I'm an exceptional teacher," she said. "I've never had a problem getting students in my class."

Subsequent independent reviews, Ogunleye said, have been positive and do not justify her termination.

Ogunleye has created "more courses than anyone," including himself and Kunnie, said Ikenna Dieke, an associate Africana studies professor.

But Kunnie said he has "worked hard and been industrious" since coming to the department.

"We've increased the number of student minors and plan on developing a major in the next year and a half," he said last night. "We've maintained a vibrant program."

Kunnie also said he helped to "put forward" two new general education courses - Introduction to Africana Experience and Africana Studies.

Departmental support

Ogunleye filed complaints with UA officials including Charles Tatum, dean of the humanities college, and Provost Paul Sypherd.

When the officials ignored her problems, the letter to Likins became necessary, she said.

"I had hoped Dean Tatum and Provost Sypherd would acknowledge my efforts in teaching, research and service, treat me ethically and without biases or hidden agendas, honestly examine the issues I raised concerning the ill treatment I routinely experienced," she wrote to Likins. "That did not happen."

Dieke and Lansana Keita, an Africana studies associate professor, have condemned Kunnie, calling him names and attacking his work.

"We are not on speaking terms with him," Keita said. "The workplace conditions are not good at all. They (Kunnie and Ogunleye) have been feuding since he became acting director."

Keita said Kunnie has forced him and Dieke to teach five days a week next semester.

"He's trying to retaliate against us," Keita said last week. "As human beings, we like to be fairly treated. With Kunnie, it's too far gone."

But Kunnie said "nobody is being forced to do anything," and sometimes, schedules must be modified.

"All of us do research and we all get along with a variety of teaching schedules," Kunnie said.

Dieke and Keita are "primarily, if not wholly responsible" for bringing Kunnie to the UA, said Tatum, who defended Kunnie's perfor-mance as acting director.

"In my opinion, Dr. Kunnie is an exemplary leader and a skilled administrator," he said.

Tatum took issue with Dieke and Keita's behavior and accusations.

"They have failed to follow established procedures in several instances and so I can't elaborate on the future of their employment," he said.

Tatum declined comment on Ogunleye's dismissal, citing "privacy of personnel issues."

Communication between Kunnie and other Africana studies department staff has ground to a halt, Dieke said.

"I will never cooperate with him, no matter what happens," Dieke said. "We don't speak to him and he doesn't speak to us."

Kunnie said the blame for communication prob-lems lies with Dieke and Keita.

"These colleagues have opted to engage in a process of non-communication," he said. "I cannot, in my position, refuse to communicate with faculty."

If Ogunleye sues the university, other professors in the department will support her in court, he said.

"They (university officials) won't have our support," Dieke said.

The professors have called for a search for a permanent department director to replace Kunnie, who has been the acting head for two years.

"We asked the dean (Tatum) several months ago to have a search and he turned it down," Keita said. "Two years is too long."

Tatum said he will not conduct a search for a director right now.

"It's not appropriate, at this point, to conduct a search," he said last week. "There is so much turbulence in the program at this point."

Kunnie would not comment as to his acting director status.

Reported threats

Kunnie filed a report with university police Oct. 2 after receiving a letter he considered to be threatening.

The unsigned letter included lines such as, "beware of Satan, the devil you are living with" and "God will prevail. Watch out."

Kunnie said the letter was sent to his wife at their house.

"I take it seriously," he said last night. "I consider that a case of harassment against my family life."

Kunnie said he does not know who sent the letter, and Ogunleye said she knows nothing about it.

"This is really strange to me," she said. "I don't know anything about it."

David J. Cieslak can be reached via e-mail at David.J.Cieslak@wildcat.arizona.edu.