Re: 4/7/00 - Jovin statements bring call for resignations
Jovin statements bring call for resignations
By Allan Drury, Register Staff April 07, 2000
NEW HAVEN ? Six Yale University alumni Thursday distributed a mass e-mail calling for the resignation of two administrators over statements one allegedly made to the ABC television show 20/20 on the death of Suzanne Jovin.
The electronic petition, sent to all members of Yale College, calls for Yale Secretary Linda Lorimer and Deputy Director of Public Affairs Thomas Conroy to leave Yale.
It also demands that Yale President Richard Levin issue an apology to the Jovin family.
Attempts Thursday night to reach Lorimer and Conroy at home and at their university offices were unsuccessful.
Jovin, 21, a senior political science major, was murdered Dec. 4, 1998. Her assailant stabbed her 17 times in the back and neck and left her to die on a street corner in the city?s East Rock section.
Despite extensive efforts, police have made no arrest.
The alumni took issue with comments they believe Conroy made to producers of 20/20, which aired a segment on the Jovin case March 1.
The broadcast quoted Conroy as saying Yale wanted to put the Jovin matter in the past and move on.
Conroy has denied making the statement.
"The statements attributed to the university made by ABC news on its 20/20 program were not consistent with the recollection of their supposed source, university Deputy Director of Public Affairs Tom Conroy," Levin said late Thursday.
"The statements made on ABC do not reflect the beliefs of any university official, and I regret any offense they gave to the Jovin family, their friends and any others," Levin said.
Members of Jovin?s family have said they informed Lorimer Jan. 26 that Conroy was making the statement to ABC. The alumni blamed Lorimer for not disavowing Conroy?s statements before they were aired.
"We agree with the Jovin family that the ?callous position of the university reported in the 20/20 program are disingenuous, hypocritical, self-serving," the alumni wrote.
"The Jovin family has stated their great distress due to the aforementioned position of the university," the petition said. "This represents a failure in the leadership of the Yale administration and ought to be repudiated promptly by the Yale Corporation."
Michael Blum, a 1998 graduate and a leader of those who wrote the petition, said the group manually added about 5,300 e-mail addresses to a Web browser. The job took about 25 hours, he said.
Asked whether, he believes Lorimer and Conroy would actually resign, Blum said: "It depends on the corporation. I fully expect there to be very serious consequences."
¸New Haven Register 2000
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