Chairman Ehrhart Demands Georgia Tech President Resign
It seems Chairman Earl Ehrhart’s feud with Georgia Tech over due process has escalated rather quickly. Georgia Pol covered the issue earlier, but here’s a quick recap:
Last week, Representative Earl Ehrhart, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee On Higher Education, had much to say about due process in collegiate judicial proceedings involving students, or lack thereof. Chairman Ehrhart’s criticism of the school’s judicial proceedings is actually completely legitimate.
Victims of sexual assault deserve justice, but those innocently accused deserve a system that will protect them from vicious accusers. In the committee, Chairman Ehrhart demanded college presidents make due process protections for students before he discusses any state funds with them.
At the root of Chairman Ehrhart’s problem with Georgia Tech is its lack of proper investigation into sexual assault claims against students. Recently, Chairman Ehrhart demanded the president of Georgia Tech, Bud Peterson, resign. The Chairman’s committee also denied funding for a new building on the Tech campus.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution caught up with Chairman Ehrhart
What I want him to do is go in there and do the right thing. I think he can still survive. I don’t have a personal grievance with Bud Peterson, but I do have a problem with what’s happening on Tech’s campus, there’s a total lack of due process…My responsibility is to the taxpayers. I can’t throw good money after bad. And I’m not going to fund these individuals who make these decisions. Taking away a $47 million Taj Mahal is not going to harm the students.
I doubt President Peterson will resign; however, as I said earlier, this is opening the door to constructive conversation on due process on college campuses.
About Author
Will Kremer
Will is an active member of the Georgia Republican grassroots. He previously served as Chairman of the Georgia Association of College Republicans, 2nd Vice Chairman of the 7th District Republican Party, and Treasurer of the Forsyth County Republican Party. Promise Land = Forsyth County.
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Whether the state should build a “$47 million Taj Mahal” may be a legitimate issue on its own but let’s not tie it to a perceived or actual lack of due process in college judicial proceedings.
If your going to talk about the ‘project’ you should know what the Taj Mahal spending concerns. It’s not for a new building. It’s for two library renovations (Crosland Tower and Price Gilbert Library), which includes an asbestos abatement, a ADA and egress upgrade, new energy (cost saving) efficient HVAC systems and a technology overhaul – among other things.
I did say “may be a legitimate issue” but I will defer to your knowledge on this one.
Thank you for the non-biased commentary on the issues of Due Process at Tech on an all of Georgia’s campuses. I am hopeful that there will be a resolution with President Peterson and the culture at Tech will change with respect to protecting ALL students rights not just the accuser. I see change coming and the Regents mandated Due Process which will be voted on tomorrow will be a 180 degree change on many campuses most particularly Tech. We will see strong Due Process mandates protecting all students and all Universities will have to comply. I also hold out hope that the President will begin making substantive change now. As for the library renovation it has only been postponed not done away with.
I understand your issue with the GT student judicial process and especially Peter Paquette, who will be gone eventually. I also get the issue with Bud Peterson who violated the school’s own disciplinary guidelines. To be perfectly honest, I am really not very impressed with Bud myself.
What I don’t understand is the childish maneuver regarding the library renovations and the threatening of funding. The GT library dates back to the 60’s and is completely inadequate for a modern technology-focused university. Do you really think calling it a Taj Mahal was either accurate or helpful? Why would you even try to equate a mausoleum to a library renovation in the first place?
Next time how about sticking to the issue at hand and not taking cheap shots at the school itself. The students of GT should not be pawns in this disagreement. I would bet my next paycheck that you wouldn’t have pulled that stunt with UGA.