 "Photo: Matt Craig")
Former Boston University College of Communication Dean John Schulz made threatening comments to staff members a week before leaving the job Sept. 25, according to faculty with knowledge of the incident.
Schulz had planned to resign Oct. 15, but the university announced Sept. 22 -- one week after the incident and the day faculty recommendations for the ad interim position were due -- that he would be replaced by former Associate Dean Tobe Berkovitz the following Monday. BU spokesman Stephen Burgay said the sudden leadership change was unrelated to the former dean's comments.
Schulz told staff gathered at a social event "there are a couple of people I would like to meet in an alley with a baseball bat," according to an attendee who requested anonymity.
He allegedly repeated the threat to a faculty member shortly afterward, according to a widely circulated email written by journalism professor Renata Adler.
"The dean has now made at least two threats of bodily harm against members of the faculty and staff," the Sept. 20 email, addressed to Provost David Campbell, read. "He made these threats at college functions and in college buildings and offices. Not surprisingly, people are now too intimidated to report this to his most undeviating, powerful and implacable supporters -- the administration of this university. Apart from their jobs, and professional prospects, their physical safety is now openly at risk."
At least three other faculty members, including journalism professor Nick Mills, sent separate emails to Campbell asking for Schulz's removal. Mills said he did not receive a response from the provost.
Schulz declined to comment for this story, but BU spokesman Stephen Burgay said Campbell had learned of Schulz's comments and that they had "troubled a couple of folks."
"The provost very quickly looked into it, spoke to other folks at the meeting and concluded that the language the dean used was inappropriate," he said. "He talked with the dean . . . and the dean apologized to the provost."
Burgay said the incident was unrelated to Berkovitz's early appointment as dean ad interim. Although Berkovitz was appointed Sept. 21, one day before faculty recommendations for the position were due, Burgay said there were enough recommendations supporting Berkovitz that the decision was easy for the provost to make.
"It was clear well before this incident that Dean Berkovitz enjoyed enormous support," he said. "It was clear very quickly that support had coalesced very quickly around Tobe. This incident [at the staff meeting] had no impact on the decision to appoint him as interim dean."
But Burgay could not say why the provost did not wait until after the Sept. 22 deadline for faculty recommendations for temporary dean. Some professors said they were frustrated with the decision.
"We're being told Tobe [Berkovitz] had the overall support of the faculty, and that very well may be the case, but we have no way of knowing," Mills said. "We have to take the word of the provost."
Another professor, who requested anonymity for fear of jeopardizing his position in the college, said he and other faculty members were "kept in the dark" about the selection process and still do not know why the process was sped up.
The professor said the COM faculty had a tense relationship with Schulz, whom he said made it a policy to fire or harass the people he called "difficult."
"John Schulz created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in the College of Communication," he said. "It will be a long time until that atmosphere dissipates.
"The College of Communication was ruled with an iron fist by John Schulz," he added.
Berkovitz declined to comment for this story, and Provost Campbell did not respond to repeated attempts to contact his office through phone calls and emails over the past several weeks. Office secretaries said he has been out of the country for about a week.
College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jeffrey Henderson, who said he is a good friend of Schulz's, said the tension in COM is an internal problem.
"I worked with him with general issues," he said. "I always found him to be easy to work with."
According to the person present at the meeting, Schulz's threatening comments came in a farewell speech to COM staff.
"Leaving here, I have two ambitions: to shoot low 70s golf before I am 70 and to be rid of all anger and bitterness toward those who have mounted these attacks," Schulz allegedly said. "I am human, and right now there are a couple of people I would like to meet in an alley with a baseball bat. But I will get over that feeling and will leave remembering all of you and the other great people here at COM who have helped me so much these past three years."
Staff members who other faculty identified as the targets of threats by Schulz declined to comment for this story.
Staff reporters Neal Simpson and Johanna Kassel contributed to this report.
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