Martyrs? Hardly(UC chancellor suicide)

San Diego Union ^ | 8 JULY 2006 | San Diego Union Editor

[radar101]

The suicide of ailing UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Denice Denton – a pioneer among women scientists – was a wrenching personal tragedy. Unfortunately, however, Denton's death is now being used by another former UC executive to suggest sexism and homophobia helped fuel the bitter controversy of the past year over UC's extravagant, arguably illegal, compensation policies. Denton was one of many UC officials of both sexes to draw fire – in her case because UC spent $600,000 renovating her Santa Cruz home (including a $30,282 dog run for her pets) and hired her longtime partner, Gretchen Kalonji, to a $192,000-a-year post.

This criticism, former UC Provost M.R.C. Greenwood wrote in the San Jose Mercury-News, was unfounded and darkly motivated:

“Some will try to deny that the harsh male-dominated environment faced by many female leaders at the highest levels of academic and corporate America contributed to her ultimate decision. Some will speculate that the lack of support she received from the UC leadership was the cause. Others may claim that it was all personally motivated. It doesn't really matter. In the end, we have lost a colleague who was badly treated both by the institution that hired her and by the seemingly insatiable appetites of the media.”

If Greenwood's name seems familiar to scandal followers, it should. She resigned as UC provost in November after reports she arranged for her friend and business partner to get a $192,000-a-year UC job. (There sure are a lot of those.) Her son had also been given a UC Merced job in questionable circumstances.

Plainly, Greenwood is implying that she, too, is a victim of a sexist witch hunt. On behalf of taxpayers, we say, “Baloney!”

Now if she would only stop using Denton's death to fuel her crusade for martyr status. Like a lot of baloney, it's tasteless.

[fredmann]

Is there any proof she actually committed suicide? Isn't it possible she was pushed or even thrown out the window, her bulk notwithstanding? It seems she was found dead on a roof and a minute later the authorities said it was suicide. I would like to know what their investigation showed that led to that conclusion. Did they talk to her partner? Was her partner in the room when it happened? Were there alternative assumptions that were explored? What were they? Inquiring minds want to know. Just a gut feeling but I think there's more to this than has come out so far. Anyone else find the judgment of death by suicide to be a bit rushed.

[dubyawhoiluv]

and the poor hispanics,blacks and asians are discriminated against by the GOP,evil bigoted christians and that is why they are paid 7.50 an hour and my dogs got to run in shelter worth only $36,000; they are all hypocrites lesbos,wachos,DEMS,do as I say, not as I do. I wonder if she cared that many illegals got ripped off by her rich liberal friends who rent storage rooms(12x20) off as "family dwellings" for as much as $1200 month, believe me the worms will not touch that piece of fish rotting in the ground