dagblog - Comments for "Codes of Silence"

http://www.observer.com/2011/

Anonymous — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:45:37 +0000

In reply to http://www.dailyprincetonian.

http://www.observer.com/2011/daily-transom/family-deceased-princeton-pro...

Family of Deceased Princeton Professor Questions University's Silence

May 6, 2011 | 2:20 p.m

The family of Antonio Calvo, the Princeton professor whose April 12 suicide was preceded by a controversial suspension, has issued a statement about the university's silence surrounding the circumstances of Dr. Calvo's departure from Princeton. The statement further undermines university president Shirley Tilghman's stance that no details about his situation can be disclosed, "on the principle of confidentiality and of respect for Antonio Calvo's privacy and that of his grieving family."

The following, said to be from Mr. Calvo's brother, was forwarded to The Observer from someone with the pseudonym "Anticlimacus Cus" who says he (or she) is a former Princeton graduate student. It has also been posted in the comments section of The Daily Princetonian's web site, where a thread attached to one April 25 article is now 50 pages long.

Statement from Antonio Calvo's family
(Issued by his brother Santiago Calvo, and translated by Flora Thomson-DeVeaux)

The family of Antonio Calvo wishes to thank Antonio's students, colleagues, and friends for all the displays of affection and support that they have received. We are particularly grateful to his students for the events they have organized to honor Antonio, both as a professor and as a person.

The family of Antonio Calvo, like many, is left with doubts about the way Princeton University has acted. They have received no information from Princeton about the reasons for any action with regard to Antonio's employment. The family would like to express its disappointment with the April 25th statement issued by the president of Princeton.

The President's primary concern has been to defend the university's contract-renewal process, without taking into account the human consequences that such a process can have.

http://www.dailyprincetonian.

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 06:39:06 +0000

In reply to Codes of Silence

http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2011/04/29/28460/

...

Given all that, never mind the tragic death that followed, the University must recognize its duty to the larger community. As one student summed up during a memorial service on April 19, “I don’t think anyone is going to find closure until we have some kind of understanding.” (James Williams ′ ’13 quoted on April 20 in the ‘Prince.’) Closure indeed. What then should be done? Three things:

First, professor Calvo’s estate and family should be delicately asked if there is objection to the full disclosure of the circumstances of his “abrupt leave-taking.” If they do not object, then the file should be opened and the “closure” process would begin, even at the risk of much second-guessing.

Second, regardless of the first, the University should enlist a respected “special reviewer” from outside the University. He or she would have full access to the Calvo files and all relevant personnel procedures to provide the University with an account of the matter and with his or her recommendations for any changes to “procedures” for the future.

Finally, the work of this “special reviewer” should be considered by an independent committee — i.e., independent of the “Committee of Three,” who apparently made the final decision leading to Calvo’s “abrupt leave-taking” — and report to the Board of Trustees on his or her findings and proposals for change, if any.

Doubtless no one could have foreseen that Antonio Calvo would take his own life after his sudden dismissal, but surely it was predictable that he would experience great anguish. The question now is whether that anguish was unavoidable, or could it be repeated again someday for someone else.

R. William Potter ’68 is an attorney in Princeton and a frequent preceptor in law-related courses at the University. He can be reached at potterrex@cs.com.

Yes. That's why the beginning

Doctor Cleveland — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:10:36 +0000

In reply to Early statements from the

Yes. That's why the beginning of my original post says that this will take a subpoena.

That's why the comment you just responded to says:

If the account Princeton renders is not satisfactory to Calvo's survivors, they should drag Princeton through the courts like Achilles dragging Hector.

I don't know how many times and how many ways I can say it: if there is wrongdoing, the only solution will be courts of law.

The published photo of Calvo

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:55:03 +0000

In reply to The issue of health is one

The published photo of Calvo was absolutely not typical and makes him almost unrecognizable (for those who know him). Google Dimiceli Calvo for the many photos on the memorial website, and then try your diagnosis again.

Early statements from the

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:46:46 +0000

In reply to Who said anything about

Early statements from the family suggest that they indeed want answers to the many open questions. But I'm wondering whether the University will indeed provide all the answers, because the "confidentiality" of the process does not involve only Dr. Calvo but also other parties concerned: his "accusers" for example (if allegations were made against him, which seems likely), the colleagues and students who wrote confidential letters, and possibly even the members of the committee that decided his case. They would all have to consent to the release of the information pertaining to them. Unless the courts get involved, I'm skeptical whether the truth will come out even if the family pushes for it.

Who said anything about

Doctor Cleveland — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:42:07 +0000

In reply to No good is served by keeping

Who said anything about keeping files secret? Certainly not me.

There is a difference between "secret" and "confidential." That difference is semantic; it has very real consequences.

"Secret" would mean that Princeton never gives an accounting to anyone. That is clearly unacceptable. "Confidential" means that Princeton gives a private but full and complete accounting of events to Dr. Calvo's survivors (such as his family members, for example). If the account Princeton renders is not satisfactory to Calvo's survivors, they should drag Princeton through the courts like Achilles dragging Hector. In either case, it should be up to Calvo's survivors, not to Princeton, to decide what gets made public and how.

Princeton absolutely has to explain the events leading up to Dr. Calvo's demine. But they shouldn't explain them to me, or to you. I'm sorry if that pains you, but Princeton also doesn't have the right to determine who was close enough to Calvo, or was fond enough of him, to be given access to his private information. In life, that was for Dr. Calvo to share, or not. Now it is up to his legal survivors, particularly family members. And if Princeton decides to "clear the air" by telling the whole Princeton community about Dr. Calvo's medical history or by repeating allegations against him, then Dr. Calvo's family would have every right to sue Princeton for *that.*

Princeton does not get to unilaterally decide how much privacy Dr. Calvo is entitled to in death. And if people suspect Princeton of treating him badly, that's not a better reason for letting them violate his privacy.

It is hard to speculate on

Jose Maria — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:38:03 +0000

In reply to As Dr. Cleveland has

It is hard to speculate on what might have happened, but I do agree with Blue Willow: cancelling his email account, taking his keys, and sending security personnel to do so, just two weeks before the end of the semester is pretty drastic. This is the kind of response one would expect from really serious accusations. If that is the case, and they involve criminal, or near criminal, activities, then the person(s) responsible for them should come up with the evidence, and the authorities in Princeton should explain why they took such drastic action. Secrecy in this matter just throws suspicion either (a) on the procedures and policies followed by the authorities in Princeton and those who may have led them to act in they way they did, or (b) on Prof. Calvo's reputation. On the other hand, who says that students and those faculty members under his supervision have no power? Haven't we all heard about sexual harassment, racial discrimination, etc. etc. etc.? Whatever the case, an independent committee should look into the matter.

No good is served by keeping

Anonymous — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 20:36:02 +0000

In reply to Well, anonymous, thank you

No good is served by keeping the files secret in this case; I disagree entirely with you, Dr. C. For one thing, people do not simply bury friends' deaths and walk on. For another, clearly something, or several somethings, went badly wrong along the line here, and the light of day may prevent another such case.

It's no secret inside academe (though it's often a surprise to outsiders) that the players are often less than sane and moderate. Nor is it a secret that administrative power is sometimes used harshly or abused. But no good comes of closing one's eyes when these things happen.

Stories like these make me very glad I never had any interest in becoming an academic. To live in an environment where the jobs are so few, the self-importance so vast, the politics so filthy, the cast of mind so narrow, and the inclination to close ones eyes is so strong...at times I think it can be ascribed only to a failure of imagination. Surely this is not the only way to teach, if teaching's what you're after.

Well, anonymous, thank you

Doctor Cleveland — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:49:08 +0000

In reply to I liked your original post

Well, anonymous, thank you for both the comment and for the kind words about the original post.

The early newspaper reports are full of allegations and alleged details, but almost none of them come from sources who are clearly in a position to know the things that they allege. And so I'm not willing to take any of those as proven. (This is especially true since none of the people giving quotes to the media so far say that they spoke to Dr. Calvo between April 8 and April 12.)

I gave the most weight to the student eyewitness who says he had to sit waiting in Calvo's class on April 8 and April 11, because that witness was clearly in a position to know what he says he knows. He was in that class, Calvo did not turn up, and eventually in each case someone did show up, first telling him that Calvo would return on the 11th and then telling him that Calvo would not. That suggests that Princeton, for whatever reason, did not have its act together, and had not really planned for Calvo not to be back.

Most of the other details that are in the news are things that the sources being quoted have no clear way of knowing. Worse, they give no explanation of how they know. So I don't fully credit those things.

The worst of all are the claims about what problems there might be in Calvo's contract review, because no one talking to the press seems to have direct knowledge of what was in that review file. The people who have claimed to speak for Dr. Calvo so far are people who would clearly NOT have access to that information.

This is why pointing the finger at specific parties, especially parties who are themselves professionally vulnerable and powerless, is so ugly. These accusations are made by people who do not know the facts of the case, against people who did not have the power to make any of the decisions involved. These are accusations without evidence. Do you seriously not see a problem with that?

No one's going to get justice for Antonio Calvo by trashing or railroading other people. That is simply a way to create new injustices and new wrongs.

The issue of health is one

Anonymous — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:18:41 +0000

In reply to If it was because of illness

The issue of health is one that seemed rather slow in appearing. As a retired medical worker, my first impression of the published photo of Calvo was that of a person with "facial wastage" that is often associated with serious disease.