16/08/2024
With just 26 hours of public notice before a vote to approve a new University of Arizona president, a local group said it didn’t have enough time to raise a red flag about how finalist Suresh Garimella handled antisemitic harassment of Jewish students at his previous job.
In a letter sent to the Arizona Board of Regents this week, the Anti-Defamation League of Arizona, a chapter of the prominent Jewish advocacy group founded in 1913, expressed concern at how quickly Garimella was approved as the new president after the board announced he was the only finalist.
“In response to that announcement, ADL immediately began preparing a submission for the Board’s consideration that addressed Dr. Garimella’s serious shortcomings in addressing antisemitism during his tenure as the president of the University of Vermont (UVM),” Regional Director Jolie Brislin and Deputy Director Sarah Kader, wrote in a letter Tuesday, referencing a 2021 investigation.
Chad Sampson, the executive director of the Arizona Board of Regents, responded to the ADL’s letter Wednesday, stating that “UVM took actions to address allegations of antisemitism.”
But, the ADL said, they were “surprised” when Garimella was hired almost immediately after his interview announcement.
The board announced at 6:53 a.m. on Aug. 8 that it would interview Garimella during a private executive session at 7 a.m. on Aug. 9. They voted to hire him during a public portion of that meeting at 9:19 a.m. — about 26 hours from start to finish. And all while much of the UA community was off for summer break. The semester begins Aug. 26.
The board is in salary negotiations with Garimella and continuing to take public comment on the search via email at [email protected], according to an email from Megan Gilbertson, the board’s associate vice president of public affairs.
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