New College Independent Alumni/ae Association

As a connoisseur of social conflict, one of the patterns I’ve repeatedly observed is the expectation by aggrieved parties to put their faith in public authorities to look out for the interests of the innocent. Unfortunately, benevolent law enforcement only happens on TV.

Trusting people often find themselves taken advantage of because they are, well, trusting. They fall for the lofty rhetoric of con men like Peter Gabel because they want to believe. Only after they’ve been betrayed many times do they realize they’ve been conned.

Sadly, after realizing they were gullible, the innocent frequently transfer this unwarranted trust in con men toward what they believe will be the arduous pursuit of justice by government agents on their behalf. This, however, never happens.

What does sometimes happen, is that when the aggrieved parties document their grievances and the misfeasance of perpetrators — and organize themselves to bring their case before authorities and media effectively — some degree of justice often results. Government bureaucrats, on the other hand, almost never move a muscle beforehand.

All this is to say that what my mother told me as a child about the lord helping those who help themselves was probably good advice. I only wish she’d used a more terrestrial application of the concept.

As recent faculty correspondence from the Labor Department wage claims hearings shows, New College trustees continue to bargain in bad faith, blaming everyone but themselves, and pursuing vengeance against those whom they have harmed most. While it appears that the culprits of this tragedy are now making their getaway with the school’s assets while leaving creditors in the lurch, it’s still possible that the trustee looting and asset conversions may yet be undone by the feds.

In the absence of a class action suit, wage claimants might want to individually file liens on the remaining real properties of the school, as well as on the real properties of the trustees themselves. Eventually, this mess is going to end up in a court of law; when that happens it will be advantageous to have the now-verified claims on file at the courthouse.

Judges and lawyers can sort out the rest.

Today’s the last day of the wage claim hearings. Trustee Colleen O’Neal and former business manager Carol Small, representing New College, are asking claimants to waive the penalties at $145 a day for each day they don’t pay back wages. People who want their severances are not being granted settlements as the Labor Department’s jurisdiction only extends to back wages.

From what I was told, that doesn’t preclude anyone from filing a separate claim. There are about 200 claimants all told. Settlements are to be paid by August 22nd in full.

The clincher is this, Trustee O’Neal already told claimants New College does not intend to make that payment deadline, and when asked where the money will come from to pay the claims, she said, “From collectibles.” (Outstanding student loans and continued pressure on the US Department of Education for release of funds.) There was also a response from O’Neal handed to each claimant chronicling the administration’s struggle with DOE. It said a small group was working to try to release those funds.

I’m told the Casa Loma and Creamery have been sold. Peter Gabel and Rod Holt, together, have a million dollar lien on the Casa Loma, and Peter has another half a million on the Creamery, along with others.

As our shop steward, Kush has been leading the charge for severance and grievances, so they’ve been after him. So far, not yet a peep from union attorneys. I’m hopeful that a thorough criminal investigation will yield financial malfeasance.

–faculty correspondent