Ramsey got Felner's assurance. Now we get Stone's.

I was talking recently to a friend. He's a former Frankfort insider, and refugee from the Fletcher Administration, who had met with Louisville President James Ramsey a few times on business in recent years. He thought Ramsey was a heck of a fella. Still does.

He thinks its a shame that Ramsey is now being tarnished by his protection of former CEHD Dean Robert Felner. But he knows how it goes. One bad act, or a major failure of judgment, can indeed outweigh tons of other good acts in the eyes of the public.

Unfortunately, in Ramsey's case, the long-term protection of Felner despite very disturbing evidence of several varieties of harassment lays heavy on the balance sheet. Then there's the recent revelation of worse; missing grant money and Prince Georges County Schools Superintendent John Deasy's instant degree.

But all is not lost. Just as Felner had Ramsey's support, Ramsey has the support of at least two members of the Board of Trustees. Previously J Chester Porter declared,

"We have worked with (U of L President) Jim (Ramsey) and (Provost) Shirley
(Willihnganz) long enough to know they, too, care deeply about the welfare of
all the University's employees and students."

One supposes that caring is the attribute that trumps all else.

In a letter to the editor in today's C-J, another Trustee, William Stone, jumped in the bunker with Porter.

As just one trustee of the University of Louisville, I want to publicly declare my support and confidence in the ability, integrity and judgment of our outstanding president, James Ramsey.

My friend would concur about Ramsey's ability. But in the Felner case, it is specifically integrity and judgment that are in doubt. When relatively weak persons sought his help to redress grievances, there was none to be had.

Stone laments the "almost daily hammering" at the hands of the Courier. Others lamented that it took C-J three weeks to get on the story to begin with. But Stone would assure us that Ramsey "has been pushing the right levers to get to the essence of the issues confronting us."

Then Stone tries and fails to compare the situation at Louisville with the Duke University lacrosse team. He thinks that Ramsey addressing the issues publicly is "courageous."

Apparently Stone, Ramsey, and the media agree that "the facts and truth should dominate the ultimate judgment of an individual." That's why media reports have all been based on university documents and verified facts. Stone would prefer that the media just kept it to themselves.

But not to worry. All is well. We have his assurance.

I can assure all those who read this offering, from the perspective of someone who has been intimately engaged with U of L as an 30-year overseer before becoming a trustee, that the leadership of our beloved U of L is in steady and skilled hands. We will come out of this stronger and better as we continue our inevitable journey toward national academic prominence.

I'm pretty sure Ramsey had Felner's assurance, too.

Hat tip to Jake.