By Jack Stripling
Dawood Y. Farahi managed to keep his job as president of Kean University on Wednesday night, but his deteriorating support among the New Jersey institution’s trustees came into sharp relief. Following an emergency meeting to discuss allegations that Mr. Farahi falsified credentials on his résumé, a narrowly divided Board of Trustees voted to endorse Mr. Farahi’s leadership, in spite of “carelessness” in the presentation of his academic accomplishments.
In a 7-to-4 vote, with one abstention, the board approved a statement in support of Mr. Farahi. One trustee abstained.
“The board notes that the investigation identified instances, most decades old, where Dr. Farahi exhibited carelessness that is not consistent with today’s rigorous academic environment at Kean,” the statement reads. “The board does not condone these mistakes made by Dr. Farahi; in fact, we deplore them. But the board recognizes that none of the investigator’s findings is material to Dr. Farahi’s successful employment as president of Kean.”
The statement was greeted by jeers from a standing-room-only crowd of about 300 students and faculty, some of whom shouted “Shame on you” and “The board must go,” The New York Times reported.
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