James Leaves Security Dept.

Keith James is no longer acting as the director of Safety and Security, following a period of labor and management disputes.

James asked for a leave of absence in early July, and has since been replaced by interim director Robert Jones.

"Mr. James is no longer the director of Safety and Security," said Director of Human Resources Ruth Spencer.

The College technically still employs James, although he will not be reinstated in his former position.

"Keith James asked to be put on administrative leave, and that request was granted. Itıs my understanding that in his time of administrative leave he will be seeking employment elsewhere and that he will not be assuming his responsibilities again at Oberlin," said Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith.

"We are in communication with him regarding the final separation process," said Spencer.

During his tenure as Director, James was the subject of numerous staff complaints and grievances. He came under fire for alleged offenses such as unfair hiring, scheduling and labor practices, creating an unsafe work environment and displaying abusive behavior towards some members of the Security staff. As a result of internal disputes, at least one officer, Angel Yost, resigned from her position last spring.

James was also mentioned in a lawsuit brought against the College last December by two students. The female students were brutally attacked on campus in two separate incidents in 1998. The suit claimed that under Jamesı direction, the department of Safety and Security was negligent in its prevention and response to these attacks, noting labor disputes within the department. The lawsuit is still pending.

In responses to the criticism, James maintained that he was not to blame, telling the Review in February, "Before I came here there was always staff turnover. To correlate staff turnover with my arrival would be a little presumptuous."

"The feedback I have been getting is that people feel quite comfortable with our services," he continued regarding the lawsuitıs claims of negligent practices during his stint as director.

Jones, a 23-year veteran of the Oberlin Police Department, served as the Chief of Police from1980 until his retirement in January. He has agreed to serve as Director only until the College finds someone new to fill the position. "We will be running a search this fall for a permanent director of Safety and Security," said Goldsmith.

Jones has declined to put himself in the running for the permanent position. "I agreed to accept this on an interim basis," he said. "Iım just here to do the job now and not take it beyond that point."

Jonesı experience in law enforcement as well as his historical relationship with the College has excited administrators and Security staff alike.

"Over the years that he was chief of police, he was an extraordinarily good friend of Oberlin College and Oberlin students," said Goldsmith. "He has a particularly thoughtful and nuanced understanding of the need for some reasonable balance between studentsı and otherıs obligations to the laws of the town and the state and the regulations of the College, and our obligation to be thoughtful and respectful of studentsı right to privacy."

"Heıs a very experienced police officer and knowledgeable administrator whoıs had a long-standing historical relationship thatıs been very positive with the College," said Spencer.

Christine Groff, president of the Oberlin College Security Association union and a frequent critic of James, is also happy with the choice for interim director.

"I think it was about time the change was made and [Jones] is a good thing right now. Being the retired police chief and citizen of Oberlin, he is very familiar with the life of a student and the Collegeıs politics. He also offers some stability to the department," she said.