The Volokh Conspiracy - Dartmouth's Kangaroo Court:

TJ Rodgers has a strong commentary on my booting from Dartmouth's Board in today's issue of The Dartmouth, "Hang One, Warn a Thousand":

"Hang one, warn a thousand" says the ancient Chinese proverb. In its April meeting, the Dartmouth Board of Trustees hanged Todd Zywicki '88, thus warning the petition trustees — and any others tempted to express independent views — not to cross the party line. The Board's action was coldly deliberate. The legal machinery by which it was achieved took two years to construct.

I have pondered previously on whether new accusations arose during the closed-door deliberations that I was unable to address. TJ--without revealing any details of the charges--makes clear that this indeed was the case:

On the day of his trial, Zywicki was asked if he wanted to make a statement. He apologized again for his Pope Center speech and exited. In order to maintain the confidentiality of board proceedings, I cannot give details. However, I can say from personal knowledge that many of the statements made in that meeting about Todd Zywicki were factually incorrect, but Todd was not there to respond. In my opinion, all of the issues, including his speech, did not rise to the level of negating the votes of the alumni who elected Todd. Despite my objection, the vote — for the only time in my five years on the Board — was secret.

Later, as I watched, Todd was told in a hallway that he had been ejected. He was not given the vote count or even the reasons for his ejection. I walked him to his rental car and watched him leave Hanover, perhaps for the last time.

Todd was offered the option to save himself — to resign before the vote and slink out of town. Todd Zywicki's greatest achievement as a Dartmouth trustee may well be having the personal courage to force the Board Majority to take responsibility for a political lynching.

Real classy, Trustees.

Read the whole thing--it is a real eye-opener.

The Dartmouth also ran a panoply of student reaction on the issue the other day. Let's hope the Trustees learn something from the students and not the other way around. And let's hope that incoming Dartmouth President Jim Kim cleans-up the place when he takes over.

	[Todd Zywicki, April 22, 2009 at 11:52am] Trackbacks Dartmouth's Kangaroo Court: TJ Rodgers has a strong commentary on my booting from Dartmouth's Board in today's issue of The Dartmouth, "Hang One, Warn a Thousand": "Hang one, warn a thousand" says the ancient Chinese proverb. In its April meeting, the Dartmouth Board of Trustees hanged Todd Zywicki '88, thus warning the petition trustees — and any others tempted to express independent views — not to cross the party line. The Board's action was coldly deliberate. The legal machinery by which it was achieved took two years to construct. I have pondered previously on whether new accusations arose during the closed-door deliberations that I was unable to address. TJ--without revealing any details of the charges--makes clear that this indeed was the case: On the day of his trial, Zywicki was asked if he wanted to make a statement. He apologized again for his Pope Center speech and exited. In order to maintain the confidentiality of board proceedings, I cannot give details. However, I can say from personal knowledge that many of the statements made in that meeting about Todd Zywicki were factually incorrect, but Todd was not there to respond. In my opinion, all of the issues, including his speech, did not rise to the level of negating the votes of the alumni who elected Todd. Despite my objection, the vote — for the only time in my five years on the Board — was secret. Later, as I watched, Todd was told in a hallway that he had been ejected. He was not given the vote count or even the reasons for his ejection. I walked him to his rental car and watched him leave Hanover, perhaps for the last time. Todd was offered the option to save himself — to resign before the vote and slink out of town. Todd Zywicki's greatest achievement as a Dartmouth trustee may well be having the personal courage to force the Board Majority to take responsibility for a political lynching. Real classy, Trustees. Read the whole thing--it is a real eye-opener. The Dartmouth also ran a panoply of student reaction on the issue the other day. Let's hope the Trustees learn something from the students and not the other way around. And let's hope that incoming Dartmouth President Jim Kim cleans-up the place when he takes over.