Judge sides against UGA

A federal judge is recommending that the University of Georgia clear the name of the campus' former journalism dean. The judge said in court documents Friday that UGA should rescind sexual harassment charges against John Soloski. The judge called the university's probe into the harassment allegations made by employee Janet Jones Kendall "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable." Soloski resigned from the deanship at UGA's College of Journalism in 2005 after Kendall filed a complaint against him for making comments about her appearance. He sued the university in 2006, alleging UGA President Michael Adams used the harassment allegation to settle a long-standing grudge and force him to resign.

(Associated Press)

UGA creates complaints panel

The University of Georgia has appointed three ombudsmen to handle harassment and other complaints from students, faculty and staff. UGA President Michael Adams created the jobs in response to criticism that the university was slow to handle a spate of sexual harassment complaints against faculty members. The new ombudsmen will serve as third-party mediators who do not represent the university's interest in the complaints.

UGA President defends graduation speaker

University of Georgia President Michael Adams is defending his decision to invite U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to speak at graduation. Critics have said Thomas is an inappropriate guest after a year of sexual harassment scandals on campus. Adams says the opposition to Thomas speaking at the May 10 ceremony is more about his conservative political views and not about his past. Thomas, a Georgia native, faced a bitterly contested confirmation process for his appointment to the Supreme Court in 1991 after his former employee, Anita Hill, accused him of sexual harassment.