PAGE ONE COMMENTARY: Conflict of Interest at the College.

McSister om the FKCC Board Key West The NewspaperKey West The Newspaper

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November 19th, 2010

PAGE ONE COMMENTARY: Conflict of Interest at the College. McSister Should Resign from the FKCC Board
BOARD MEMBER DR. ANTOINETTE McPHERSON-MARTIN IS NOW SERIOUSLY DATING THE SCHOOLS PROVOST, DR. RANDY CHARLES. SEXUAL HARASSMENT CHARGES AGAINST CHARLES ARE PENDING. McBROTHER HAS JUST BEEN PROMOTED. HE REPORTS DIRECTLY TO DR. McBOYFRIEND-CHARLES. by Rhonda Linseman-Saunders Afraid Florida Keys Community College (FKCC) is losing its edge as a leading incestuous job mill for locals? No worries! The tangled web of family and personal relationships among high ranking FKCC employees and at least one of the board members is thriving. You may recall that Dr. Antoinette McPherson-Martin was appointed to the FKCC Board of Trustees last year after an eleventh hour application. Her brother, then-mayor Morgan McPherson arranged the appointment by admittedly calling in a favor to a lobbyist friend of his who had the ear of then-governor Charlie Crist. The purpose of getting McSister appointed, of course, was that shed serve as the nail in the coffin for thenpresident Dr. Jill Landesberg-Boyle.

While Boyle had quickly put the college on a path to recovery after decades of decline and was popular with students and faculty, her leadership style was unpopular with a group of administrators, including a McPherson brother, Michael McPherson, and McPherson family friend and McPherson campaign manager, Lydia Estenoz. Boyle was forced to negotiate an exit deal when she saw McBubbas writing on the wall. Not stinky enough for you yet? Oh, theres more. Recently, an FKCC employee alleged she suffered sexual harassment by FKCCs provost, Dr. Randy Charles. Dr. Charles is openly dating Trustee McSister-Martin. FKCC President Larry Tyree said he didnt find enough evidence to sustain the sexual harassment allegations against Randy McBoyfriend. Heres a silly question: Would you be terribly inclined to find evidence of sexual harassment against your bosss boyfriend? Especially when that boss was instrumental in ousting your predecessor? And where do you think the next stop is for the sexual harassment allegations? You got it. The Board of Trustees on which McSister serves. In other McRats nest news, Michael McBrother has been promoted to interim Dean of Arts and Sciences. Okay, now ask me who McBrothers boss is. Yep, its Provost Randy Charles. So the president, who serves at the pleasure of McSister on the board, promoted McBrother to a position where he will report directly to McBoyfriend. We couldnt make this stuff up if we tried. President Tyree was emphatic that the interim promotion of McBrother was based solely on his qualifications for the position. What is important to me is not trying to win a popularity contest, Tyree said, but instead doing for the institution the right thing for the right reason. Tyree had no comment regarding the increasingly obvious conflict posed by Trustee Antoinette McPherson-Martin not only being a friend and relative of high-ranking FKCC employees, but now an alleged live-in lover of the provost. McPherson-Martin said she made board attorney Buck Devane aware of the personal relationships and that he gave the legal all-clear for her to continue to serve as a trustee, as long as she recuses herself from involvement in any disciplinary action related to McBrother or McBoyfriend. I can assume, then, that she will recuse herself when McBoyfriends sexual harassment grievance comes before the board. And in that case, or any case related
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PAGE ONE COMMENTARY: Conflict of Interest at the College. McSister om the FKCC Board Key West The NewspaperKey West The Newspaper

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to Mc- Friends and Family, what value is she bringing? Shes taking up a spot on the board where somebody equally talented but more useful could be serving. McSister said she is unclear about what could be perceived as a conflict of interest and that neither McBrother nor McBoyfriend report to her in any way. I have no influence on their job responsibilities, positions, or evaluations, she said. Call me nutty, but I think Dr. McSister should apply her professional psychology skills to her own life and guide herself, gently but quickly, to the realization that her presence on the board hurts the college. Whatever value she adds is nothing compared with the stakeholder distrust in college leadership shes perpetuating. Her choice to finish her fouryear appointment despite intimate relationships that cause obvious ethical challenges is, at best, irresponsible. Rhonda@kwtn.com

Go Back Where You Were

3 comments

3 comments to PAGE ONE COMMENTARY: Conflict of Interest at the College. McSister Should Resign from the FKCC Board

Trust Broken
1 9 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 A T 1 1 : 3 9 P M ! RE P L Y

Larry Tyree has been a President of one college or another most of his life, but being a figure head and manager are in many cases different, being popular and effective are not always the same. Has Larry gone Bubba native? Now you have a Provost that may not be breaking the law by dating an FKCC Trustee but there is a hugh ethical problem here and if these sexual allegation are true must be fired in fact just dating a Trustee aside fom sexual harrassment is a lapse of and poor judgement that is good enough reason for discharge. What a Toxic work place FKCC must be for the victim, sex with fellow employees is just plain inappropriate. FKCC has Lydia and other employees(Registrar) that have manipulated grades to help friends which is a major violation of trust/accredidation and the integrity of the institution yet punishment is weak at best and in cases non exsistant. Then a Mcpherson gets a shakey political promotion. Is McPherson the best candidate for the job? Was the job posted? Has the candidate ever taught? Ms. McPherson (McSister) must step down as well as this political appointment was ill conceived, and if she does not the Govenor must remove her. There is a lack of leadership and integrity at FKCC. These problems are big enough that Accredidation must be denied as this institution is damaged goods and public trust betrayed.

The Macerator
2 0 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0 A T 2 : 0 0 P M ! REP L Y

Why even create the appearance of impropriety & run the risk of being discredited as an institution.Even without the claims mentioned in this paper, there are already claims of financial mismanagement in regards to the budget. These Administrators & Executive members cant exhibit any level of leadership again resulting in the State stepping in to babysit.

Janice L.
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Janice L.
1 2 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 A T 1 0 : 2 6 A M ! RE P LY

I have heard from inside the storm zone, that Mr Charles last secretary Ms Jillian Manzer was actively dating him through the coup of Mrs Boyle, that makes sense, there had to be a reason she turned on Mrs Boyle since apparently, the late president had respected Ms Manzer. It must have been a shock to be betrayed. Now it all makes sense, even Ms Manzers promotion and being moved to a different building. That also makes sense because it got her out of the way so he could pursue his new political connection Ms McSister.

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