Power to the People

Power to the People

Michael Kay firing, wrongful termination

Martin Watkins writes this letter to the editor in reaction to Dr. Michael Kay's termination of employment. Watkins goes into the reasons that led to the firing and objects to him losing his job. Since Watkins loses his job as well soon after his connection to his support of Kay, it is interesting to see his protest against the university prior.

Martin Watkins

Quad Angles

Special Collections, Francis Harvey Green Library, West Chester University

1970-02-10

Maria Marabito

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https://digital.klnpa.org/digital/collection/wcnp01/id/13880/rec/26

Power to the people TO THE EDITOR: When a college student is judged unsuited for continuing his work at a college for reasons of poor scholarship or discipline, he is obliged to leave the college. When a faculty member is judged unsuited for continued employment at a college - for valid or specious reasons - he, too, is obliged to leave. However, when a board of trustees, a college president, a dean of instruction, a chairman of a division, and an acting chairman of a department, as well as other administrators have shown by their actions that they are apparently unsuited for continued association with or employment by a college, who obliges them to leave? The actioas referred to - violative of established American Association of University Professors and college procedures and intolerant of dissent - are similar to those actions which earned for West Chester State college the unenviable honor of being placed on the AAUP censure list for twenty years, from 1939 to 1959. How can concerned students and faculty prevent this college from being censured again and from again becoming the laughing stock of the academic community throughout this land? The answer is clear if one understands certain concepts of government as stated by John Locke which are universally accepted in the western world and which are restated in the Declaration of independence and the Constitution. These concepts are that governments exist for the public good, that government is a trust to be forfeited by elected and appointed officials who fail to secure the public good. In short, the officials' authority is conditional (cont onto page 4) conditional rather than absolute. Most important is the idea that all power ultimately resides in the people and that they constitute the government. Furthermore, the people have the right - indeed, the duty - to withdraw support from and to change that government which fails to fulfill its trust. These concepts are clearly defined in U. S. documents, they are enshrined in the American tradition, and they are deeply imbedded in the American psyche. An institution of higher learning in this country surely cannot expect to operate under autocratic concepts that are foreign to American tradition. Officials of an institution are servants of the people, that is, of the students, faculty, and public in general. And where these officials do not operate properly, they must be removed. Those who believe that the firing of Dr. Kay violates college and AAUP procedures and academic freedom and is harmful to the welfare of the college community should write to Governor Raymond Shafer, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as I have done, demanding the dismissal of the Board of Trustees (except for Mr. De Baptiste, who voted to retain Dr. Kay), President Rossey, Dr. Filano, Dr. Fleck, and Dr. Riley. I have been given reason to believe that if large numbers of students, faculty, and others write to the governor then he will respond appropriately. Sincerely yours, Martin A. Watkins Associate Professor English Department