Washburn University President Dr. Jerry Farley sent a letter May 19 requesting a lighter sentence for the spouse of one of his staff members.

Richard Blevins was charged with aggravated indecent online solicitation of a 13-year-old child and received 32 months in prison. Farley requested Blevins be given probation instead of prison.

The letter was sent on university stationery and was signed "Jerry B. Farley, President."

Members of the Washburn University Board of Regents complained that Farley's use of university stationery may suggest the university endorsed the letter’s content, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Farley told The Wichita Eagle, “It certainly wasn't any indication nor would I have implied in any way that I was speaking for Washburn University. Not at all. It was purely personal.”

Farley told the paper that using personal stationery would have made very little difference. “It is probably impossible to separate me from the title and position that I own,” he said. “Everything I do is basically in the public venue just because of the visibility of the position.”

This is not the first time Farley has stirred controversy. In July 2004, he refused to remove a temporary art installation from the Washburn campus ahead of schedule, despite requests to do so. The installation included a bust of a Catholic priest wearing a miter some interpreted as a phallus. The decision drew much criticism from the Catholic community.

In response, Farley released a statement saying that it was impossible to please all sides in the controversy, so the statue would remain on campus for the entirety of its scheduled tour.

The piece was not made by a student. It was selected by a three-person jury of art professionals and was approved by Farley. The statue’s artist, Jerry Boyle, grew up Catholic and said his creation, which had been on display in more than 10 locations in the country, was a “humorous piece.”

Farley suggested offering educational classes to students, faculty, staff and the community. The classes would offer guided discussion and instruction about the piece’s symbolism.

No tax dollars were used in the selection of the piece. The university did, however, lose a large amount of funding from Catholic alumni after the refusal to remove it.

Farley told the Eagle he had known Blevins for 10 years, but that his letter didn't indicate approval of his acts. "Obviously I don't condone in any way the acts that Mr. Blevins was convicted of," Farley told the paper. "How could I?"

-Ruth Schmidt

Resources:

• The Wichita Eagle: http://www.kansas.com

• The Topeka Capital-Journal: http://www.cjonline.com

The Week in Review