The Sexual Offense Review Committee (SORC) is reviewing the complaints of sexual misconduct filed against Associate Professor of Neuroscience David Holtzman.
Early this week Holtzman filed a second request for a temporary restraining order in Cleveland, charging that the internal College process has not been followed correctly. "In essence, the College has suspended one process in favor of going ahead with a different process," Holtzman said. "I have not been allowed due process in my complaints against the administration."
Holtzman's first request for a temporary restraining order is still awaiting the judge's decision. The hearings concluded Feb. 12. Holtzman's new request is a continuation of the same case.
Holtzman originally charged that he had been denied equal treatment as an Oberlin College employee because he is Hispanic-American.
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Clayton Koppes said, "The SORC process is going ahead precisely in line with College procedures."
Al Moran, Director of Communications, said, "Obviously Mr. Holtzman has a different perspective on the procedures than the administration does."
Thursday Holtzman filed a complaint with the Mediation Committee charging that he has not been evaluated for a merit raise as other faculty members have been. He also asked the Mediation Committee to investigate why he has not been evaluated for tenure. Holtzman's complaints were refuted by Koppes, who said the College is following procedures.
The Mediation Committee, upon petition, reviews decisions made by the general or divisional faculty councils regarding the tenure, terminal reappointment, or non-reappointment of faculty members. The Mediation Committee also reviews personnel decisions made by the faculty councils regarding the salary or promotion of a faculty member.
Last week it was announced who received tenure. "It's clear I was denied tenure," Holtzman said.
He added, "It's another example of how I've been treated like a second class citizen. I have every right to be reviewed for tenure. There's no reason I shouldn't have been reviewed for tenure, except in terms of the administration not following procedures." Holtzman said he put himself up for tenure in August.
In terms of the merit raise, Koppes said, "The Neuroscience Program is evaluating Mr. Holtzman for a merit raise this year like other faculty members."
Koppes also said the College is obligated to evaluate faculty members for tenure during their sixth year of teaching. Holtzman, Koppes said, has only been employed at Oberlin for five years. "In the fifth year an individual does not put himself or herself up for tenure," Koppes said. "An individual can only be put up for an early tenure consideration by his or her department or program."
He added, "The Neuroscience Program was disinclined to present Mr. Holtzman for early tenure consideration."
After SORC reviews the complaints of sexual misconduct against Holtzman, those complaints will be forwarded to the hearing panel of the Professional Conduct Review Committee.
In addition to reviewing the complaints against Holtzman, the hearing panel of the PCRC will also review complaints of misconduct that Holtzman filed against Koppes, former acting dean of the college James Helm and Neuroscience Program Director Catherine McCormick.
The PCRC has never reviewed complaints against deans before. After the hearing panel for Holtzman's complaints decided last semester that it could not hear the charges filed against Helm and Koppes because they were acting in their capacity as administrators, the PCRC and General Faculty Council (GFC) worked to find a way to move forward with all the complaints that all involved parties would agree to.
The GFC recommended that the PCRC hear all the complaints, including those against deans. Prior to its recommendation, Holtzman had rejected the hearing panel's terms, which were to move forward with Koppes' complaints against Holtzman and Holtzman's complaints against McCormick, but not Holtzman's complaints against Koppes or Helm.
Related Story:
