MSSU board plans to discuss nondiscrimination policy

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March 18, 2010

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Thu Mar 18, 2010, 07:55 PM CDT

By Greg Grisolano

ggrisolano@joplinglobe.com

Missouri Southern State University’s Board of Governors is expected to address changing the university’s nondiscrimination policy when the board meets today.

Although a discussion of the policy is not on the board’s formal agenda, chairman Rod Anderson said he intends to address the issue “at the beginning of the meeting.”

“I hope we can set some kind of a stage where we can look at where it needs to go,” Anderson said in a phone interview Thursday. “Now that everybody has kind of digested the situation, we can see what the best study of the situation can be.”

Students continue to stage protests demanding that the university’s nondiscrimination policy be amended to specifically include protection for gay and lesbian students and faculty members.

The current policy states that Missouri Southern “does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, creed, color, national origin, disability, or age in its educational programs or activities.”

The protests began after a member of the Board of Governors used an anti-gay slur during a Feb. 20 board retreat while talking about the university’s lion mascot logo. The board member, David Ansley, apologized for the remark several times and later resigned.

The university’s faculty senate earlier this month unanimously approved a proposal calling for wording expressly protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination in the school’s hiring policies. That proposal also was sparked by Ansley’s remark.

What began last month as a sit-in with about 20 students has become a weekly rally drawing community members, faculty members, alumni and a delegation from Pittsburg (Kan.) State University’s Gay-Straight Alliance. The group has been meeting in front of the administration offices at Hearnes Hall to advocate for the addition of the words “sexual orientation” and “gender expression” to the school’s nondiscrimination policy.

Thursday’s protest brought about 50 people to the front entrance of the administration building. The event included the reading of a letter of support from Stephanie Perkins, the southwest regional representative for PROMO, a statewide gay and lesbian rights advocacy organization that supports changing MSSU’s policy.

Student organizers with MSSU’s Equality Alliance said they plan to attend today’s board meeting but do not intend to conduct any formal demonstration at that time. The board will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 310 of Billingsly Student Center.

“As far as (the meeting) goes, we just want to make sure (board members) are taking our feelings into consideration,” said Ivy Love, a senior French and Spanish major, and one of the organizers for the protest. “We just want to make sure that what we’re saying is being taken seriously.”

MSSU President Bruce Speck has repeatedly said he believes the current policy is adequate, in that it complies with all state and federal laws. He has said it applies to sexual orientation even though that is not specifically stated.

During a Feb. 26 interview, Speck told the Globe that administrators have never been presented with any specific complaints of discrimination against gay or lesbian students. He said no one “has availed themselves of those channels” that the university provides for dealing with complaints.

Other schools

Several Missouri schools — including the University of Missouri and Missouri State University — include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies. Pittsburg State University also extends specific protection to gays and lesbians by policy.

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MSSU board plans to discuss nondiscrimination policy

Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr wants the city to distribute weather radios to all Joplin homes that don’t have one. That’s 11,000 radios. Do you think that’s a good use of $300,440?

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