Politics & Government

Blog: Why Chancellor Katehi Should Keep Her Job

Katehi is actually an ally to the students, says one blogger for the Huffington Post.

“Not only is Linda Katehi not responsible for what happened [at UC Davis], she is an ally to the protestors.”

That quote comes from a blog written by Gregory C. Pappas that appeared in the Huffington Post Thursday. Pappas concedes immediately in the blog that he knows Katehi personally and is also from her homeland of Greece, but says that has nothing to do with his stance, which he goes on to explain. 

He makes clear that campus police were “absolutely unjustified in ,” and says that the officers involved , as should the police chief.

Find out what's happening in Daviswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

When asked , 28 percent of Davis Patch readers said Katehi. 23 percent said the police chief and 47 percent said Lt. John Pike. 

Here is Pappas's case for Katehi: 

Find out what's happening in Daviswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Linda Katehi did NOT approve the use of force. She repeatedly stated this -- or has attempted to state this. I wonder if the loud roar of the crowd has stopped to even listen. "I explicitly directed the chief of police that violence should be avoided at all costs," she told a gathered crowd of over 1000 students at a town hall.

Pappas insists that Katehi is actually on the side of the students.  

…She knows first hand the power of student movements (her generation of students at the Polytechnic helped bring down a dictatorship after all), and who has witnessed violence directed against her generation that our present occupiers can only witness in the movie theaters.

Pappas discusses two arguments that have been used by many to explain why Katehi should lose her job. One has to do with micromanagement of the police department and the other suggests she has a desire to curb educational freedoms on campus. Read the full blog on the Huffington Post to see why he says they don’t make sense.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here