2008 Woodie Awards
Returning student says voice silenced at KSYM
Radio-television-film faculty decline to comment on student because of grievance.
By Regis L. Roberts
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: News
Originally published: 4/17/08 at 3:18 PM CSTLast update: 5/16/08 at 9:33 PM CST
It all started when he was late for Watson's class because he was dealing with his car being towed.
He asked Watson to cut him some slack due to his disability.
This kept happening and he was given a letter from Maria Gomez from disability support services instructing Watson to take Price's disability into consideration with regard to attendance.
The letter, however, was not the end of Price's problems.
He again was marked late for not being in his seat on time, and, Price said, Watson came into the KSYM studio booth to yell at Price about his attendance while he was on the air.
Price said he had to cut to a song quickly so Watson would not be on the air.
Embarrassing a student while they were on the radio, Price said, was beyond the pale, and is against KSYM policy.
Matters got worse still.
Price said he was denied any on-air jobs for the summer because of the commotion he was causing about his treatment.
He approached John Onderdonk, the faculty adviser for KSYM, to try and settle the matter in person.
In a taped conversation in May 2007, Onderdonk told Price, "More than one faculty member had reservations about you being on the air."
When Price asked what other faculty members besides Watson complained, Onderdonk would not say.
"I know Mr. Watson wasn't happy with your performance in class," Onderdonk told Price.
Onderdonk said in the taped meeting that Price went about settling the matter with Watson wrong, and should have been more professional.
As far as he knew, Onderdonk said to Price, his on-air performance was fine, but his attitude about his problems with Watson was not professional.
The matter of Price's attendance was not discussed in the meeting.
Onderdonk told Price, "Don't become a victim."
Price decided to file a grievance against the department April 26, 2007.
When asked for comment, Onderdonk said, "I don't talk about grievances."
He asked Watson to cut him some slack due to his disability.
This kept happening and he was given a letter from Maria Gomez from disability support services instructing Watson to take Price's disability into consideration with regard to attendance.
The letter, however, was not the end of Price's problems.
He again was marked late for not being in his seat on time, and, Price said, Watson came into the KSYM studio booth to yell at Price about his attendance while he was on the air.
Price said he had to cut to a song quickly so Watson would not be on the air.
Embarrassing a student while they were on the radio, Price said, was beyond the pale, and is against KSYM policy.
Matters got worse still.
Price said he was denied any on-air jobs for the summer because of the commotion he was causing about his treatment.
He approached John Onderdonk, the faculty adviser for KSYM, to try and settle the matter in person.
In a taped conversation in May 2007, Onderdonk told Price, "More than one faculty member had reservations about you being on the air."
When Price asked what other faculty members besides Watson complained, Onderdonk would not say.
"I know Mr. Watson wasn't happy with your performance in class," Onderdonk told Price.
Onderdonk said in the taped meeting that Price went about settling the matter with Watson wrong, and should have been more professional.
As far as he knew, Onderdonk said to Price, his on-air performance was fine, but his attitude about his problems with Watson was not professional.
The matter of Price's attendance was not discussed in the meeting.
Onderdonk told Price, "Don't become a victim."
Price decided to file a grievance against the department April 26, 2007.
When asked for comment, Onderdonk said, "I don't talk about grievances."
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 53
JIm Boyle
posted 4/18/08 @ 12:40 PM CST
Excellent article!! The administration at all levels uses the "smoke screen," about not being able to comment because of a grievance that seems to have been going on for upwards of one year. (Continued…)
praecrag
posted 4/18/08 @ 1:43 PM CST
So Mr. Price is a great worker only if he gets a 7-8AM time slot and plenty of parking?
My classes are at inconvenient times and there is never parking. (Continued…)
David O'Rourke
posted 4/18/08 @ 4:26 PM CST
How ironic to have this article posted in the last issue of the Ranger so that no other side of the story can be explained in a future issue.
First and foremost, I empathize with Price's disability. (Continued…)
JIm Boyle
posted 4/18/08 @ 6:58 PM CST
Well, well!! Another uniformed new student. John Evers knows how much I love him. The time he witnessed me being abrupt with John, I was on a deadline to get cmj reporting done, and I had to cut John off, but you can verify with him that I later apologized. (Continued…)
bordn12
posted 4/19/08 @ 12:21 PM CST
jimmy boyle should don his own flame retardant uniform if he wants to keep pumping gasoline onto his own fire, and should also provide a can of pesticide if he's willing to open "the can of worms". (Continued…)
Brian Zavala
posted 4/19/08 @ 5:10 PM CST
What a sad, sad man with nothing to do but complain!
Is this what retirement entails? If so, I plan to work for a really long time!! He's like a "Boyle" on our butts that we can't get rid of. (Continued…)
JIm Boyle
posted 4/19/08 @ 8:07 PM CST
Yes, but at least I am man enough to put my real name on my postings. Before you retire, you actually have to do some real work for a living.
jim boyle
posted 4/19/08 @ 8:12 PM CST
BTW, this will be my last posting, because you don't deserve to be in our company! You would rather act like children instead of mature "college" students, who choose to take a serious situation, and turn it into personal attacks. (Continued…)
noneya
posted 4/20/08 @ 8:04 PM CST
Oh scoop....you are nothing but a bitter old man who is upset that after you,who quit 3 times and always came back due to the lack of anything else going for you in your life, could not come back because KSYM finally put their foot down and said no, we don't want you to come back! You were very unprofessional in your treatment towards students. (Continued…)
The Fly on the Wall...
posted 4/21/08 @ 3:33 PM CST
Dearest Citizens,
It seems that when people "in general" do the wrong thing and mis-treat others, there is always an antagonist or an un-empathetic and non-understanding individual. (Continued…)
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