As someone who is a strong supporter of Schoolcraft College as well as a major financial contributor to the Schoolcraft College Foundation, I would prefer not to write about improper conduct at the college. However, because certain information concerning me is now public, I want to spend some time addressing the issue. Future postings in Etene Sacca-vajjena, I will return to the educational issues I typically address in my blog.

In March 2017, Antoinette Raheem, an independent investigator hired by Schoolcraft College, presented the findings of an investigation she had conducted concerning how the college had treated me.  Ms. Raheem found that the college had engaged in some serious misconduct.   In the almost two years since the college received Ms. Raheem’s findings, they have done nothing to rectify the situation.

Tonight, I addressed the Schoolcraft College Board of Trustees.  Because I would have preferred to address my personnel issue in private, I requested of Dr. Conway Jeffress that I be permitted to address tonight’s Board meeting in closed session “to consider the disciplining of a public employee” as permitted by MCL 15.268(a) of the Open Meetings Act.”  Dr. Jeffress denied my request.   Due to the public nature of my comments which included details of the Raheem investigatory report, I have decided to release a summary of them.  My complete comments can be obtained by requesting them from steve@stevenlberg.info. 

In her report, Ms. Raheem found that the college took disciplinary action against me without verifying the veracity of complaints, based disciplinary action on misleading and inaccurate information, encouraged students to file complaints, complimented students for filing complaints, and did not show me complaints.  Ms. Raheem found that the college manipulated an Academic Issues Study that served as a basis for bringing disciplinary action as well as to launch a Title IX investigation against me. 

In terms of the Title IX investigation, Ms. Raheem found that the college developed a rubric that predetermined my guilt and based the investigation on inaccurate information.  Ms. Raheem also found that Dr. Cheryl Haggen improperly failed to respond to me in 2016 and that the resolution status of the Title IX investigation unfairly contributes to a difficult work environment for me.  Ms. Raheem found that Dr. Cheryl Hawkins’ actions may present challenges to her being open minded with respect to me.  After this finding, Dr. Hawkins was allowed to remain my direct supervisor for another 18 months.  After almost three years, Dr. Haggen has yet to respond to the 2016 query.  And the difficult work situation has not been rectified.

These findings relate directly to the discipline taken against me and do not include the findings that the college inappropriately changed student grades and admitted to telling me not to comply with Federal law and college policy.

I want to emphasize that these are not simply allegations made by me.  They are findings of fact by an investigator hired by Schoolcraft College. 

Since the Fall of 2015, I have turned over hundreds of pages of documentation to the college of improper conduct by several administrators.  Because of limitations the college placed on Ms. Raheem’s investigation, she was not able to investigate all of the allegations for which I turned over documentation.

It appears that I might have no choice but to pursue legal action against the college as the only alternative I have left to clear my record. More importantly, I have a moral obligation to do all within my power to make sure that the illegal and unethical actions taken against me will not be taken against other faculty members, other Schoolcraft College employees, or our students.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

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