In the words of one Faculty Senate member, Interim Human Resources Director John Lohmann “hijacked” the March 10 Senate Meeting and used his spot on the agenda to read a statement from the University Bias Incident Team.
Lohmann, who was on the announcements and reports agenda to talk about a new personnel policy concerning grievances, aired a grievance of his own. Lohmann chided the Senate for not speaking up during the Feb. 10 meeting when Sen. Rea Kirk made a remark that Lohmann characterized as “demeaning and derogatory.” (See a transcript of Lohmann’s statement on page 2.)
During a discussion about Chancellor Dennis J. Shields’ decision to rehire Rose Smyrski as his special assistant, Kirk said, “Unless she’s sleeping with the Koch brothers, we are not getting $120,000 worth.”
Lohmann alleged in the meeting that Kirk’s statement, “impugned an administrator’s credentials by invoking negative stereotypes of women in leadership positions.”
“I find it very interesting that Mr. Lohmann did not approach me first or privately,” Kirk said.
Senate Vice Chair Teresa Burns was not happy with Lohmann’s tactics. Burns noted that Lohmann had come to speak about a specific agenda item and the material he presented was supposed to connect to that topic.
“If he wanted to come in and identify a complaint, there are procedures to do that; as an attorney he should know that,” Burns said. “He should follow his own policy.”Three members of UBIT, not including Lohmann, met with Exponent adviser Arthur Ranney on March 9 to express their concern about the publication of Kirk’s remarks and to get some insight into Exponent editorial policies.
In Lohmann’s statement to Faculty Senate, he said, “UBIT has received a bias report based on the comment and will proceed accordingly.”
Ranney was surprised by the statement.
“I was told by other members of UBIT that they solicited comments from Rose Smyrski,” Ranney said. “I was told that she did not approach UBIT.”
“The statement I presented to Faculty Senate was presented on behalf of the University Bias Incident Team . I am grateful that the Faculty Senate President allowed me to present the statement,” Lohmann said. “I regret that neither I nor UBIT notified the Faculty Senate in advance about the presentation of the statement.  That was an error and I have already sent an apology to Dr. Cornett.”

The complete text of the statement made by Lohmann as recorded by Media Technology Services and transcribed by the Exponent

“I am a member of the University Bias Incident Team. I was asked to make a statement to the faculty senate today on behalf of the team.
The role of the University Bias Incident Team is to provide an organized response to bias incidents when they occur and a mechanism to inform the public when appropriate. Incidents of bias can be directed at groups on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion among other factors. And they can affect different populations on campus such as students, faculty, staff and visitors. Incidents of bias include discrimination and harassment. This includes sexually discriminatory and/or sexually derogatory remarks when these have the effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s academic or work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive education, employment, or living environment.
On February 10, a statement was made publicly in this forum that in our collective opinion contained language demeaning and derogatory in nature, which impugned an administrator’s credentials by invoking negative stereotypes of women in leadership positions. We believe the comment made would not have been made about a man in the same position and was focused on the gender of the target. Perhaps it was a joke; perhaps it was because the stress we’re all under from the enormous pressures from outside of our control.
I certainly throw no stones personally, I have said many things in my life that I regret, much worse than what was said here. Nonetheless we have been tasked to foster a community of achievement and respect. We believe that the faculty and staff are people of good conscience. With my apologies to Edmund Burke, when people of good conscience fail to confront bigotry the old ways of hatred take a foothold. No one in this body spoke up after the comment was made, that happens sometimes; but it shouldn’t happen here. We are better than this. UBIT has received a bias report based on the comment and will proceed accordingly. Thank you.”