Senator Greg Tarver (D) Shreveport
Shreveport Senator Greg Tarver is calling out LSU Baton Rouge amidst the sexual misconduct scandal and said they are attempting to skirt attention and place it on LSU Shreveport instead. Tarver said it is clear that LSU Baton Rouge has not even touched the surface of its mishandlings.
“Not only with the football team but other areas, what they’re trying to do is shift everything to Shreveport and use Shreveport as a scapegoat, and that’s not right nor fair,” said Tarver.
Shreveport Medical School Chancellor Dr. G.E. Ghali was placed on leave after allegations of sexual misconduct. Tarver said but the chancellor at the New Orleans has received more complaints than Ghali but was not placed on leave.
“Dr. Ghali has only four or five complaints against him, and he’s placed on leave. He was cleared of sexual harassment under Title IX. Why are they treating us any different than south Louisiana, because they’ve always treated us different?” questioned Ghali.
Tarver believes LSU Baton Rouge could be shifting the focus of the scandal to Shreveport in an effort to increase funding for medical facilities at the main campus.
“We don’t have enough money to support the two medical schools, why are we creating another one? I’ve said this many a time in the finance committee, but they continue to move forward,” said Tarver.
Tarver also stated that LSU Shreveport does not have enough representation on the LSU Board of Supervisors.
The chairman of LSU’s Board of Supervisors responded to Tarver’s claims.
I respectfully disagree with Sen. Tarver’s claims. In light of the allegations against Dr. Ghali, we immediately placed him on administrative leave until the EEOC can conduct its investigation. We felt this to be in the best interest of our students, faculty, staff and institution.
Despite claims of motivations stemming from a north-south divide, the reports about Dr. Ghali came directly from women who live and work in the Shreveport/Bossier community, not in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans, or even Monroe.
We promote LSU Health Shreveport’s successes every chance we get. Their work has been integral to the success of LSU and Louisiana, from producing graduates who fill workforce shortages to cutting edge research at the Emerging Viral Threat Lab, the Feist Weiller Cancer Center and the Center for Brain Health. Statements asserting otherwise are made solely to create disharmony for political advantage, and have no place in logical conversations about a very complex situation.
Robert S. Dampf
Chair, LSU Board of Supervisors
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