Response From Collegis CEO Tom Huber

Editor-in-chief Bob Evans' opinion column in the May 5 edition of InformationWeek states that Collegis unfairly "fired" two employees at New York Law School for "blowing the whistle" on a faculty member found in possession of child pornography on his computer. The professor pleaded guilty to the charge, but a lawsuit filed by the technicians who reported the crime prevents both Collegis and New York Law School from commenting freely on the particulars of this issue. Evans was made aware of this in advance of writing his column, yet he based his assumptions on only one side of the story--that of the plaintiffs--in his published version. This does a disservice to the readers, the judicial process, and to Collegis, its employees, and clients. Mindful of the legal constraints still in place, Collegis would like to share at least a portion of its story with those same readers here.

The two plaintiffs, who discovered the pornography, reported it to their supervisor, who in turn reported the felony to law school administrators. This was entirely consistent with the policy of Collegis, which is to report all criminal activity it discovers to its client institutions and cooperate with them in reporting it to the authorities. The administrators then contacted authorities in a timely manner, and both Collegis and law school employees cooperated with law enforcement in handling the case. The two plaintiffs were commended by both Collegis and the law school in their handling of the situation.

Collegis does not support the depraved habits of the professor, nor does the company condone any use of pornography. But as criminally disturbing and emotional as this issue may be, the pending litigation has nothing to do with the professor. Employment of the technicians ended due to issues completely unrelated to this isolated incident, which will become clear as the case progresses through the legal system. Claims made by the plaintiffs cannot be taken at face value and should not be trumpeted as fact via media when they are based solely on unsubstantiated allegations. As frustrating as it may be for our company and damaging to our well-earned, excellent reputation, we are advised to remain quiet until the case is resolved.

It is the policy of Collegis to treat all of its employees in a fair and impartial manner, and it would never dismiss an employee for doing the right thing. Our employees are instructed and expected to uphold the law and to enforce the policies of the client institutions they serve. The plaintiffs in this case have chosen to plead their case in the court of public opinion. We choose to support the legal process and are confident that in the end, we will be vindicated of these accusations. We believe that most thoughtful readers will understand that only one side of this story has been unfairly presented by the media and will reserve judgment on Collegis until all the facts have been presented. After all, that's how our Constitution and our legal system are designed to work.