The Sleazy Tactics That Made Confederate Glenn McConnell A College President

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Despite protests by students and faculty, the powers that be at the College of Charleston in South Carolina appointed confederate apologist and Lt. Governor Glenn McConnell to be the college’s next president.  He is the sort of guy that caught the SPLC’s attention and merited a write up on the organization’s website earlier this month.  Not surprisingly, the segregationist and pro-slavery crowd in South Carolina can count on McConnell during times of need.

Here’s one example.  A major grocery chain decided to drop products they bought from Maurice Bessigner once they found out about the pro-slave paraphernalia, including a “book” called “The Biblical Justification for Slavery”, Bessigner sold in his chain of restaurants. McConnell stepped up and sold the items himself.  Bessinger even offered his customers discounts if they bought his pro slavery “literature” because Bessigner placed such a premium on “enlightening them” of the biblical justifications for deeming human beings as property for other human beings. So of course, McConnell stepped up.  No decent white nationalist is going to stand by and do nothing when another good “Christian” is being “persecuted” just because he’s a bigot who promotes “biblically justified” slavery.

What institution of higher learning would turn down the opportunity to have such an upstanding guy like Glenn McConnell as its president?

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Sure enough, the students and faculty fought hard to keep the stench of white nationalism and everything else confederates stand for out of the highest position at their college.  The fact that McConnell was appointed in a hail of controversy is old news.  Until now, the political manipulations making that appointment possible was hiding in a dark closet.

Until now, we didn’t know that the school’s board of trustees went outside the list of possible candidates selected by the school’s presidential search committee.   In other words, the only people who wanted McConnell as the school’s president sat on the Board of Trustees.  Several members of the presidential search committee express their opposition to McConnell’s appointment in a letter.

Based on other media reports, the letter outlined the reasons that most Americans would agree against appointing a staunch confederate as the president of a college that is trying to promote American values like diversity, not to mention respecting the freedom and dignity of all individuals.

Trymaine Lee obtained the minutes of a Board meeting held on February 28 from an unnamed student organization. Based on that and what he has found out about the committee’s letter, Lee tells the story of a Board of Trustees determined to appoint McConnell, over the objection of students, faculty, and the committee charged with the responsibility of finding suitable candidates for the position of college President.  The minutes tell of a Board of Trustees that was dismissive of candidates vetted by the presidential search committee even though, according to the minutes, the Board mandated the committee to conduct this search.

The Board of Trustees of the College of Charleston charges the Presidential Search Committee … with conducting a search for the College of Charleston’s 22nd President and presenting to the Board of Trustees the names of no more than five candidates, unranked for consideration.  The Board of Trustees, acting under the authority granted to it under SC Code 59-130-30, shall select and evaluate the finalists and appoint the 22nd President of the College of Charleston.

Concerns that the Board didn’t intend to consider the committee’s candidates as seriously as it should were evident at that meeting.

I’ll tell you, this sure sounds like governance Tea Party style.  Provide the appearance of a transparency and willingness to care about the will of the people, then ignoring both.

Passing resolutions consistent with a transparent nomination, then appointing someone who will be resisted by anyone with any semblance of concern for the community’s well being. This may be one college, in a state that veers far to the right.  However, it serves as an example of what Tea Party rule looks like, and the sort of people that pass for “leaders.”  Gee, I guess what they say is true. Those Tea Party types really do stick together.

Image: The Southern Poverty Law Center


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