Felner Attny Defends Deasy's Instant Doctorate

This from the Gazette (MD):

Deasy earned his doctorate,

says lawyer for former dean

Attorney claims superintendent is

victim of ‘negative publicity'

surrounding ex-university official

An attorney for a former University of Louisville dean is coming to the defense of Prince George's County Schools Superintendent John E. Deasy, stating the school leader earned the doctorate he received from the university.

Deasy came under scrutiny last week when Kentucky media questioned how he was able to receive a doctorate of philosophy in education in 2004 after taking only nine credits at the school.

Questions were also raised about Deasy's prior relationship with Robert Felner, the dean of the school of education who signed off on Deasy's dissertation. Felner was previously a dean at the University of Rhode Island at the same time Deasy was a student there.

Also, while Deasy was superintendent at Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, the school district reportedly awarded a $125,000 annual contract to an organization led by Felner to conduct surveys.

Felner resigned from the University of Louisville in June and is currently under investigation for allegedly misappropriating a $649,000 grant, according to Kentucky media reports. Felner has not been charged with a crime.

Scott C. Cox, who is representing Felner, said his client was not involved in granting Deasy's doctorate degree.

"The residency requirement was waived in writing by the university, not by Dr. Felner," Cox said. "And Dr. Deasy, as far as we can tell, earned legitimately his Ph.D. And there is so much negative publicity associated with Dr. Felner and anything he's connected with, it really is unfortunate that Dr. Deasy got dragged into this. He didn't do anything wrong except get his Ph.D."

Cox said the University of Louisville's graduate school approved Deasy's transfer credits from the University of Rhode Island, allowing him to earn his degree after one semester in Kentucky.

The University of Louisville said it is investigating the circumstances of Deasy's degree, and the county school system announced at a school board meeting last week that it is assigning outside counsel to serve as a liaison to the university.

Board chairwoman Verjeana M. Jacobs (At-large) said at a meeting Sept. 11 that board members were reserving all judgment until they knew the outcome of the university's investigation.

Deasy did not speak about the allegations at the board meeting, but he sent out a statement the same day.

"If the university finds that it did not follow its own policies and procedures when conferring my doctorate, that is of course its right to make any decision thereafter," Deasy said. "The work of improving teaching and learning, and closing achievement gaps between students will continue to be my most important work on the legacy of civil rights for the youth of Prince George's County."

According to Deasy's resume, he earned 30 credits beyond his master's degree in 1994 in New York and earned a master's degree in education administration from Providence College in Rhode Island in 1987.

A records official with the University at Albany, State University of New York, said Deasy was enrolled there from August 1991 through May 1993. The university
could not say how many courses were completed.

University of Rhode Island enrollment officials confirmed that Deasy completed 17 credit hours from 1999 to 2002, while participating in a joint doctoral program with the neighboring Rhode Island College. Rhode Island College's academic records office
said Deasy took courses there between the fall of 1997 and spring of 2004, but did not say how many courses he completed.

According to the University of Louisville's academic catalog, transfer credits from other universities are usually limited to six credits, or about two courses, and apply only for students who earn a "B" grade or better. The university allows an additional six credits to be transferred if a department official approves.

According to the university's policies, there is no set number of credits that doctor of
philosophy candidates are required to obtain, but it is "customary to consider the equivalent of three years of full-time graduate study as minimal."

Under university policy, academic records can only be released with the written consent of the student.

Schools spokesman John White said last week Deasy would not be releasing his academic records at this time.

According to Deasy's contract, the superintendent can be dismissed by the board for cause, "including, but not limited to, neglect of duty, incompetency, insubordination, misconduct, dishonesty, commission of a crime or fraud, commission of an act or moral turpitude." The contract also says the superintendent's employment can be terminated without cause.

Zalee Harris, a Temple Hills education advocate, said Deasy should step down from his post if his doctorate is revoked, and that if he does so, a group of community
members, teachers and county residents should choose the replacement.

"I will withhold all forms of judgment until I hear that the University of Louisville in Kentucky rules to rescind the doctorate degree. If the doctorate degree is rescinded, Deasy should step down immediately," Harris said.