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riEW reopens investigation into possible discrimination /
Ry BRIAN O'SHEA
Staff writer
An investigation into charges of sex discrimination in the University's athletic
program closed hv the Department of Health. Education and Welfare in July has been
reopened. The Red and Black learned Tuesday.
William Thomas, regional director of the Office of Civil Rights, said Tuesday the
investigation has been reopened because closing it was an inadvertent violation of HEW
"statutory requirements."
"The closing had been done by myself in error," Thomas said
Thomas said he informed University President Fred C. Davison of the error last week
through a telephone call, followed by a letter dated Sept 13.
Reached at his home Tuesday evening, Davison said he received the letter Monday,
but declined comment. “I’d rather have time to look at it and see what it portends for
us As I understand it, there is really nothing they can do until they come up with some
regulations, which have not yet been promulgated.”
Thomas said he does not know when the regulations will be released, but no action
will be taken on the complaints until that time. "I'm not sure how we'll proceed.” he
added
Athletic Director J. Reid Parker said Tuesday he had not heard about the letter and
could not comment "But how do you investigate an alleged violation when the
regulations, the specifics, are not yet formulated," he said.
The investigation stems from charges of sex discrimination filed in 1973 and 1976
under Title IX of the Education Act of 1972, which deals in part with discrimination in
college athletics.
The discrimination complaint filed in 1973 concerned the women's athletic program in
general HEW made a brief inquiry but took no major action rinct m 1973 'hen- ware
no rules governing athletics
The 1976 complaint cited irregularities in the scholarship program for women
athletes It was signed by every member of a women's athletic team according to an
HEW investigator
A team of investigators from HEW's Atlanta office spent a week on the University
campus last fall investigating the charges, and outlined several "problem areas but
no final report has been issued concerning that investigation A final ruling on the
charges was delayed while 8 Washington task force developed guidelines for
compliance with the Title IX regulations The guidelines have not been released in final
form.
Thomas sent Davison a letter in late July stating the University had made changes in
its athletic programs, and "because of these changes and the absence of policy
concerning the issues, we have decided to close both complaints
The letter concluded. "When a final policy concerning athletics has been adopted by
our office, the University...will be subject to a compliance review "
Thomas said Tuesday the closing of the investigation was "contrary to four)
complaint-handling procedures " Under HEW procedures, the cases cannot be closed
without a ruling on them, Thomas explained
Thomas said inquiries from advocacy groups and concerned citizens made to the
Washington office led to the discovery of the "error.” Thomas said he did not know if
the original complainants made any statements to HEW concerning the closing of the
investigation
Similar investigations of sex discrimination have been reopened at North (’.eorgia
College in Dahlonega and another college in Danville, Kentucky
Davison has been critical of HEW and the investigation in the past
Davison has claimed implementation of HEW guidelines concerning athletics would
cost the University $1 1 million and the investigation itself had already cost the
University $100,000
Alter receiving the July letter saying the charges had been dropped, Davison said,
"It is impossible to comply with standards that are not known
Davison has also questioned HEW's jurisdiction in college athletics, since the sports
program here receives no federal funding
In a recent speech. Davison called HEW's practice the "taint’ theory
This is the theory that, though a specific activity receives no federal money, its
direct ties to the overall University gives HEW enforcement authority," Davison said
Davison also cited a court decision from a case involving HEW which concluded it is
"impossible to comply with standards which are essentially unknown.”
After the week long investigation at the University, the HEW team outlined possible
' problem areas." including athletic scholarships, efforts by the University to determine
what sports women are interested in and equipment given to athletic teams.
One of the major problem areas the investigators found was that most of the women
coaches are not full-time coaches, while many of their male counterparts are
The July letter from Thomas to Davison said, in part, however. "It was obvious from
the information we collected during the on-site (investigation) that a great deal of
change in athletic policy and practices had taken place since the complaints had been
filed Other well publicized changes have taken place after our investigation.”
ffl Red and ^BlacK
University ot Georgia Wednesday, September 19, 1979 Volume 86, Number I
Coile elected Athens mayor
Georgia’s only collegiate daily newspaper
By SETII COHEN
Staff writer
By a slim margin of only 32 votes, businessman Lauren Coile
won the Athens' Democratic mayorial primary last night,
virtually assuring him the job of mayor, as no Republican
candidate has qualified to run
Coile, 46. defeated fifth ward city councilman Calvin Bridges,
in a very light turnout, by a vote of 1754-1722, carrying only two
of the five city wards and 50 5 percent of the vote compared to
Bridges’ 49 5 percent However, it was Coile’s overwhelming
margin in the second ward, where he lives, that made the
difference
"I'm just happy to be the winner." Coile said from his home
Tuesday night He said he planned to spend the next two or
three months familiarizing himself with the problems of the
city.
Coile has been president of Ivy-Coile Motors in Athens since
1971. and has been in the automobile business for 22 years He i*
VGA Toda
a graduate of the University, and has spent almost all of his life
in Athens. He was born in Winterville, Ga.
Bridges said he "had no complaints at all. I'm not bitter, just
a little disappointed," he said after the final votes came in.
Bridges said he will not seek the unexpired portion of his fifth
ward council term, which he gave ud to run for mavor. He is a
12-year veteran of council A special election will have to be held
sometime betore the beginning of the year to choose Bridge’s
replacement
Coile campaigned on the platform that a city can be run like
big business, something he's had experience in.
Known as the "establishment candidate” throughout the
election, Coile has served as president of the Athens Chamber
of Commerce, but has never before held an elected position in
city government
Bridges won the first, fourtn and fifth wards; the fifth, his
nome ward, by almost two hundred votes. Coile won the third
and second wards, the second by over three hundred votes
See COILE. p. 10
-T-
SUff Photo c Talbot Nunrulp III
Coile <L) happy: Bridges grimaces at tally
The Inside Scoop
Today resumes The Red and Black s
four day a week publishing schedule.
Featured in today's paper are a News
Section, a Sports Section and
Athenscape. a 12 page section geared
toward the new student on campus
Gary Fouts introduces the new staff
to the reader on page 4. and in the
Sports Section. Sports Editor Frank
Malloy tells why the Dogs lost
Saturday and what we can expect for
the remainder of the season
Power and the Glory
An exhibit of the most recent
paintings by Wadsworth Jarrel, art
professor at the University is
current’y on display in the Visual Arts
Gallery of the University's Art
Department Gallery hours are 9 a m.
to 5 p m Monday through Friday until
Oct 11
• ••
The University Botanical
Garden will offer a variety of short
courses, workshops and trailwalks
during the fall. The courses will be
held in the garden's Callaway
Building Registration forms can be
obtained by calling 542 1244 Courses
include: plant propagation, silk flower
making and arranging, nature photo
graph), a raku workshop, and home
greenhouse construction along with a
variety of others. In addition to the
workshops and trailwalks. the garden
will hold open house Oct 27. 9 30-11:30
am.
Give Blood - Play Rugby
The Georgia Rugby Football Club invites anyone interested in picking up a
sport this fall to come out and play rugby. Practices are held Monday through
Thursday at 5pm on the rugby field located at the intersection of College
Station and East Campus roads next to the Intramural fields No experience is
required and everyone is welcome
; MURRAY'S THE NATO*
r ABOUT THOSE DOGCaiES
GiBD to met r ya
Second ward runoff to be held;
jail bond referendum passes
By TIM BONNER
Assistant city editor
Fred Leathers will face Howard Schretter in an
Oct. 2 runoff for the second ward city council seat
being vacated by Bob Carson.
Leathers missed winning the post outright by nine
votes, as he collected 626 of 1268 votes cast in the
Ward. Schretter received 358 votes and Kerry
Scherer, the third candidate, received 284
Since none of the candidates won more than 50
percent of the votes cast, a runoff election is
scheduled between the top two vote-getters for Oct. 2.
Also, the Clarke County jail bond referendum
passed by an approximate 3-1 margin, 3099 to 1066
Clarke County voters opted to stretch out payments
for the new jail over a 20-year period by agreeing to
allow the county to issue $15 million in bonds rather
than increase property taxes one mill over the next
three years.
Leathers, a local businessman and a member of
‘MARVEL’ TO BE IMPLEMENTED
the city personnel board for six years, expressed
appreciation to his family and campaign workers for
their efforts and then complimented the media for
its coverage, saying "the coverage has been super
and equal for all candidates.”
Asked if he was surprised that Schretter rather
than Scherer will be challenging him in a runoff,
Leathers said, "with the secret vote you never know
what is going to happen once that curtain is pulled I
didn't know how well I was going to do ."
Leathers also added that the second ward is in
good shape because the citizens have three good
people working for them and their special interests
Leathers’ family has been a member of the second
ward for 80 years, and he has lived there all his life
His job with the personnel board gives him. he feels
the necessary background for city government I
know basically what every particular job is in the
city, what people do and what they’re paid "
See COUNCIL, p III
News $42-3441 Advertising $41-3414
Regents postpone
exam deadline
By BRIAN O'SHEA
Staff writer
University juniors will have until January to pass the Regents’
Rising Junior Exam because of a decision by the Board of
Regents to postpone the effective date of the regents’ new test
policy.
The policy, originally effective last July 1. would require
students to pass the regents’ exam by the time they complete
105 quarter hours
Acting University System Chancellor Vernon Crawford
announced in August that implementation of the policy has been
rescheduled for Jan 1. I960 "to give the schools in the system
an opportunity to notify everyone who might be affected "
Crawford announced last week the policy might be revised by
a committee studying the exam.
Adopted last fall, the policy said students should .pass the
regents' exam by the time they complete 75 quarter hours, with
-105 hours as the absolute deadline for passing the test. Students
who failed to pass the test would be restricted to remedial
courses until they passed the exam
The Universicv System’s academic deans have asked
Crawford for clarifications of the test policy, and the seven
member committee is expected to present its recommendations
to the board before the end of the year
The committee, chaired by Georgia State University
President Noah Langdale. is the same committee which
recommended the present policy last fall, according to a
spokesman for the regents
University Dean of Student Services Dwight Douglas said the
deans' main concern was directed toward "side effects" of the
policy. Most scholarships and loans require recipients to be in
"good standing" academically, but if a student fails the exam
and is restricted to remedial courses, the school can no longer
say the student is making normal progress. Douglas said
I)ouglas said Tuesday he has not heard from the committee
or the regents since last week's announcement, but "I wouldn't
have really expected that at this point ”
Crawford also told the board last week the 15-member
University System Administrative Testing Committee will
review all testing programs now in use throughout the system
in an effort to develop ways to improve the programs
Crawford will meet Wednesday night with Athens area
legislators and University officials to discuss the needs of the
University System. The dinner meeting at the Georgia Center
for Continuing Education is one in a series of statewide visits by
the regents Regents and legislators will discuss enrollment
programs, construction of new buildings, and other matters
"closely related to the University." a regents' spokesman said
New library director works on communication
jfigj
IP ;
IMff
Are these people for reap They sure
are. if you watch them tonight on Real
People at 8 pm on channel 2
Scheduled for the show are some
oldsters who made the geriatric
cheerleading squad, people who
prospect for gold for a living, and how
to test your favorite animal's KJ
Also tonight, the comedy Las*
Resort debuts on channel 5 at 8 p m
The show concerns the taking over of
a summer resort by college students,
and should be good for a few laughs
Starting today. The Red and
Black will carry the daily
cartoon work of artist John
Kukla The tales will tell of
the cottontail rabbit Murray
and his life at a mythical
university in Georgia Read it
on page 2 every day and find
out how a hare makes it as a
dawg
By CHUCK REECE
Staff Writer
The University library, riddled by
staff administration conflicts and a
previously inefficient automation system,
will begin the 1979 80 academic year with
a brighter future, according to David
Bishop, the new director of libraries
Bishop assumed the library's top
position July 1, and was immediately
faced with solving the many problems
within the library After his hiring was
confirmed by the Board of Regents in
March. Bishop said his first goal was to
improve the communications within the
library
"The first thing that we've done is to
establish management groups within
each division of the library." Bishop said,
explaining his method of improving the
staff-administration interaction
Bishop meets weekly with each of the
management groups "This gives me an
opportunity to interact with a substantial
number of the library's middle mana
gers," he said
However, these management groups
have failed to address the problems of
the staff members directly, according to
Cathy Waller, chairwoman ot the Liorary
Staff Association's grievance committee
Bishop said the library administration
has "a long way to go" before all the
comunications problems can be com
pletely solved
The library is now establishing other
methods of improving the interaction
between the staff and the administration.
Bishop said
Stall Hboto - Sally Kr<*bnkr
Director Bishop optimistic about library future
"We \e established personnel advisory
committees for both professional and
non professional staff members." he
said
Bishop said he feels he has a good
working relationship with the library
staff Employees can air any grievances
they might have through the Library
Staff Association s grievance committee
or bring them directly to him. Bishop
said
Since Bishop s arrival, action has been
taken on two problems that have
haunted the library for the past several
years One of the most immediate is the
automation ol the library
According to John haar. vice president
of the Library Staff Association, the
library has been attempting to automate
since the early 1970s Every attempt has
backfired
The library's most recent attempt to
automate involved 'he institution of the
MARVEL system, a generalized library
automation system MARVEL has been
hampered because it must operate
through a computer that is shared by the
entire University campus, according to
Claire Colombo, president of the Library
Staff Association
However, in the next three to four
weeks. MARVEL will begin operating on
a computer dedicated to library use only.
"The ability of the system to perform
will he tested at that point when we get a
chance to see how MARVEL' is going to
work all by itself." Bishop said Six
months to a year will be required to
determine the weaknesses in the system.
Bishop said
Another major problem in the library
has been the status of reference
specialists, subject speicalists. and
library associates, none of whom hold the
master of library science degree neces
sarv to become a protessional librarian
These* non-professional employes have
often complained that they have had to
do the same work as professional
employees at a lower salary Also, the
specialist and associate positions are
slowly being phased out. presenting the
threat of termination to employees who
do not hold the MLS degree
According to Bishop. We will add no
more subject specialists Hut no one is
going to lose his job In other words,
nothing is going to happen to the people
who ate’here "
If a specialist wants to receive a
professional appointment, he must get
the MLS degree. Bishop said