Ohio University denied this month that administrators discriminated against a female history professor by not reappointing her in May.
OU filed a response to Professor Benita Blessing's lawsuit in federal court on Nov. 2. Blessing, who won the 2006 to 2007 University Professor award, accused the university of gender discrimination and retaliation because she filed a discrimination grievance with OU.
Blessing cited docked points on her yearly evaluations and criticism of her approach to gender courses as an attack on her female pedagogical style.
In June 2008, the Promotion and Tenure Committee of the history department voted 13 to 0 to recommend that the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences not reappoint Blessing.
A unanimous vote for nonrenewal is uncommon, said Nicolette Dioguardi, associate director for OU legal affairs.
I think (the vote is) a reflection of some of the problems that have caused this lawsuit
said Blessing's attorney Marc Mezibov.
The Promotion and Tenure Committee referenced complaints of Blessing's disorganization, tardiness to class, unclear expectations and confusing lectures, according to a memorandum from Norman J.W. Goda, the former chairman of the history department.
An Ad Hoc ethics committee interviewed students who said Blessing previewed exams with them, pressured students to attend out-of-class events, frequently contacted students outside of class, allowed students to host a party at her house when she was not there, appeared at parties where underage students were drinking, got drunk with students and asked a student to drive her home because she was drunk.
The Ad Hoc ethics committee sent the case to College Professional Ethics Committee. That committee amended some of the Ad Hoc committee's allegations after speaking to 22 people including Blessing, her husband, students, faculty and Ad Hoc committee members.
The ethics committee couldn't confirm that Blessing had previewed exam material with students, if she pressured students to attend out-of-class events or if she got drunk with students.
Blessing said she and her husband had students house-sit while they were away and allowed them to have friends over. Blessing confirmed that she asked a student to take her home after she had been drinking, according to the investigation.
Four members of the ethics committee said that Blessing engaged in unprofessional relationships with students, but her behavior was not deliberately harmful. Two members of the committee said that Blessing is not guilty of professional malfeasance because she had close relationships with students to encourage them to learn.
Blessing received several letters from the Office of Nationally Competitive awards thanking her for mentoring students, as well as the University Professor award. The award was one of five campuswide and gave her the opportunity to create two new classes.
Blessing's contract ends at the end of the 2009-10 school year. She is not teaching undergraduate courses, but she is working for the history department in other capacities, Dioguardi said.
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Gail Burkhardt
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