n,
monday, October 15, 1979
lincoln, nebraska vol. 103 no 35
(sl(sl
V7
Fired black worker alleges discrimination
By Gordon Johnson
The state ombudsman's office may subpoena university
employees in order to investigate charges of racial discrim
ination filed by a former black female custodian, accord
ing to Murrell McNeil, the state ombudsman.
The custodian, Girlean Woods, was fired Sept. 10,
charged with "willful disobedience." The letter of dis
missal said Woods took 45 minutes longer for a coffee
break than was authorized and that she permitted un
authorized personnel to stay in Oldfather Hall past the 1 1
p.m. deadline.
Woods claimed she was fired because she is black, and
asked State Sen. Ernest Chambers of Omaha, Nebraska's
only black senator, to look into the matter, Chambers
said.
Chambers referred the matter to the state ombudsman
because he said he felt the ombudsman could get better
results.
McNeil said the university has not been cooperative.
"They have denied us the opportunity to investigate
the case," McNeil said. "We cannot pursue the case be
cause the principles in the case have been instructed not
to talk."
McNeil said university employees had been instructed
by NU attorney Richard Wood not to talk.
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Rolling clouds
It looks like a storm is approaching as dark clouds
roll in over the Steinauer, Neb. firehoUse and post
office.
Photo by M. Billingslay
Choiceadvocate
pro-choice side
t Rectus ippred
of abortion issue
By Michelle Can
The NU Board of Regents decided to prohibit non
therapeutic abortions at the University of Nebraska Medi
cal Center in Omaha before it heard the opposition's opin
ion, according to a pro-choice abortion supporter.
Regents establish a committee to study sales of stu
dent football tickets and set capital construction
priorities. Page 7.
Kappie Weber, a member of the Nebraska Religious
Coalition for Abortion Rights, said Sunday that Regents
Chairman Robert Koefoot's motion to vote on the abor
tion resolution after hearing only one pro-choice testifier
proved that the regents had already decided to approve
the measure.
After hearing testimony by Chris Funk, director of the
Lincoln-Lancaster Commission on the Status of Women,
Koefoot moved that the regents vote on the resolution.
However, others were allowed to testify.
The regents Friday unanimously passed a resolution
which banned non-therapeutic abortions and educational
or research programs relating to non-therapeutic abortions
according to new NU policy. Kermit Hansen, was absent
from the meeting. He is recovering from surgery.
Kay Ridenour, president of the Lincoln chapter of the
National Organization for Women, said Sunday she was
concerned about the quickness with which the regents
reached their decision.
She said Sen. Bernice Labedz of Omaha was one of the
persons who requested action by the regents.
Labedz testified at a morning subcommittee meeting,
asking the regents to decide immediately. She said she was
saddened and upset after reading the accounts of a live
birth after a saline-induced abortion performed at the
Medical Center,
Later, Labedz told the regents that had they not
approved the resolution, she would have proposed an
amendment to a university appropriations bill in the Legi
slature, which would , have prohibited non-therapeutic
abortions at the medical center.
Weber said she heard Friday morning that the abprtion
resolution would be placed on the agenda.
Weber said she was concerned that the regents did not
address the problem. She said the medical procedures in
handling an abortion in the second three months of preg
nancy were not covered in the resolution.
The medical center's procedures must be questioned,
she said, adding that the religious coalition was concerned
about the care the women receive at the center.
Both Ridenour and Weber said that they would have to
do research to determine if the regents' decision was legal
under recent Supreme Court decisions.
WOOD SAID he advised employees involved in the case
not to submit themselves to interrogation by the om
budsman's office, because the ombudsman does not have
legal authority to investigate university matters.
Wood said that the state ombudsman does have sub
poena powers granted by the Public Counsel Act, but that
the university does not fall under the act's jurisdiction.
"As far as I am concerned, he (McNeil), is interpreting
the law incorrectly," Wood said.
McNeil said he can issue a subpoena from the om
budsman's office to get NU to cooperate in an investiga
tion. "At this point I am going to make a final attempt to
work through the university on this issue, to discuss it. If
it (the attempt) is successful, the investigation can con
tinue. If it is not successful, other avenues are available
and we will pursue those options," McNeil said.
"WE FEEL this is an overwhelmingly important issue.
We feel the law gives us the right to investigate," he said.
McNeil said that he has never encountered a situation
like this before, and it would be a test case.
The issue was brought up Friday at a legislative hearing
when Chambers charged that Nebraska contains a large
number of racists and that racism exists at NU.
Woods was team leader in charge of a small number of
other employees on her shift, according to Chambers.
When she was promoted to the position of team leader,
some animosity arose between her and those under her
because she is black, according to Chambers.
He said after Woods became team leader, the team
leader responsibilities were changed to include some tasks
Woods could not complete.
Woods was a good worker who was fired for racial rea
sons, Chambers said.
TO SUPPORT the contention that Woods was a good
worker, Chambers produced a letter of recommendation
to Woods from the Assistant Dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences James C. Van Horn, on the job she did clean
ing her assigned area. The letter was written Jan. 30,
1979.
UNL Chancellor Roy Young said Woods did not go
through university procedures to resolve the matter.
According to Young, she could have filed a complaint
with the affirmative action officer or filed a grievance
which would have to be investigated within 10 days of its
filing.
However, Chambers said Woods felt she would not re
ceive a fair hearing from the university.
"The lady brought the problem to me because she did
not think she could get justice at the university in view of
the skulking and spying tactics used against her to fire
her " Chambers said.
CHAMBERS SAID that her supervisors, Heinz
Matthiesen, custodial division supervisor, and John
Marker, assistant manager, spied on her and did not give
her. previous warning about breaking the rules.
The two men who were allowed to stay in the building
were the husband and minister of a coworker, Chambers
said.
Matthiesen and Marker refused to comment on the
case. Matthiesen and Marker are the supervisors who filed
the report against Woods.
Harley Schrader, director of the physical plant, said
that proper procedure was followed in Woods' firing.
Schrader also said that Woods had been warned on
similar infractions before she was fired.
Chambers said that Woods had not been given pievious
warning.
Woods could not be contacted for comment.
Proposed student
fee raise might be postponed, lowered
Raising student tees next semester might not be-needed,
but fees will have to be raised next year to meet utility
costs of the UNL Nebraska , Unions and the; University
Health Center, according to Richard Armstrong, UNL vice
chancellor for student affairs. 1 .
Armstrong discussed the utility budget Friday at a NU
Board of Regents business affairs subcommittee meeting.
Armstrong said he came before the committee to discuss
alternatives to t fee raise, instead of asking for t raise.
. ,: '.'!"
According to law passed by the Kebmka Legislature
last spring, the state cannot pay for projects financed by
bonds. The unions and the Health Center are bonded
projects and their utility bills previ ously were paid by the
State. - " '
Armstrong said he had 'proposed a J4 fee raise
originally, but because the University Health Center is
doing well this year, he suggested a $2 raise instead.
However, if funds can be found in other ways; no
increase will be suggested for next semester, he said.
The unions and Health Center's budget cannot absorb
the utility costs within their budgets and unless the
Legislature reconsiders, fees will have to be raised or other
alternative financing found.
Regent Kermit Wagner of Schuyler said students will .
be upset about a fee raise. :$ P I - v - ;
"I don't see how students will Want to pay a $2 fee,
when they are upset about tuition."
Tm for a decrease in student fees. There are t lot of
opportunities where there could be some cutting, Wagner
4ald.
Ron Wright, vice chancellor of business for business
and finance, said he is aware that students are opposed to
a fee increase, but the regents will "still have to address
o
Get out of Omaha: Legislative committee is told state's '
nuclear emergency plan does not include evacuation of
Omaha. . . .- Page 6
Zoo's cot the blues: Jimmy Johnson and the Chicago
Blues Band plays them fys 9 ,
Fumble Free: Head football coach Tom Osborne says the
Huskers were almost error-free in their 42-0 win over v
Kansas. . ... . ....... . . .ijige 10
