May 3, 2004

The Honorable Haley Barbour

P.O. Box 139

Jackson MS 39205

Dear Governor Barbour,

Last week, the University of Southern Mississippi reached a settlement in the case of Professors Gary Stringer and Frank Glamser.  Many people expressed the hope that the settlement would be the beginning of a healing process at USM.  Since that settlement was announced, three things have happened that make such healing more difficult to imagine.

1.  In his published remarks after the settlement was announced, Dr. Shelby Thames violated both the letter and the spirit of the agreement by his critical and misleading references to Drs. Glamser and Stringer. 

2.  On Sunday, May 2, Mr. Roy Klumb spoke on WLOX at 10:30 pm.  I listened to this program myself, so I am not reacting to any hearsay.  Mr. Klumb repeatedly referred to “crimes” committed by the professors.  This is a breach of his office, of his responsibility as an IHL member, and a breach of common ethics and decency.  Neither professor committed any crime, or was charged with any crime, or was convicted or punished for any crime.  These statements also violate the spirit of the settlement; whether or not Mr. Klumb is technically bound by it, he is morally and ethically bound by it by virtue of his position.

3.  Today, interested parties learned of an email sent by Mr. John Hanbury to all the deans at USM.  In this email, Mr. Hanbury admonishes the deans for attempting to fulfill a legal FOIA request from the USM Faculty Senate.  He tells the deans that “I have been advised that a couple of you have consulted personal counsel and decided to give the FS the requested information regardless of my legal opinion and Dr. Thames’ instructions.  The last I heard, Dr. Thames was your boss, not some nebulous “outside counsel.”  Quite simply, regardless of what you or your misguided personal counsel think, the law means you take your orders from Dr. Thames and it is not up to you to decide to do otherwise.  You are insulated from personal liability for doing so.

I have informed Dr. Thames of your grossly insubordinate action.”

The text of this email was provided by a relative of one the recipients and verified from other sources.  If it turns out to be incorrect, I now extend my apologies to you and to Mr. Hanbury.  However, if as seems likely, it is correct, then clearly Mr. Hanbury is unfit for the recent promotion to special assistant attorney general he was given, as part of the settlement proceeding.  He clearly has no grasp of the way a university works, nor of the proper relationship of a university president to university deans, nor of his proper place in that relationship.  For Mr. Hanbury to address the USM deans in this tone, and with this language is outrageous.  For him to (apparently) order the deans to disobey the law is beyond outrageous, and should be grounds for dismissal from the University as well as from the Mississippi Bar.

I know that you are coming to Hattiesburg to speak at commencement.  I was privileged to sit in the faculty ranks in my cap, hood and gown, as a representative of the College of International and Continuing Education, the last time you spoke at commencement.  Your demeanor and remarks that day affected my later decision to vote for you in the fall of 2003.  Although I am no longer at USM, I am deeply interested in, and concerned over its present situation.  I hope that when you come here this time, you will give serious notice to the upheaval on campus.  It is not a bunch of malcontents.  It is not the “tenure club” as Mr. Klumb described the faculty.  It is a community of scholars and concerned citizens and students who are gravely distressed about the situation at their university.

Please listen to us.

Sincerely,

(Mrs.) Linda Vance Nunes

(I included my address)

cc:  Mr. Rich Campbell

            The Hattiesburg American