Double dam*ed letters of rec

[Michael Pemberton <michaelp@uiuc.edu>]

I think the damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't aspect of the NPR report
hinged on two things: first, that the vice-principal in question had a
history of sexual harrassment *accusations* at his original school (that
were, apparently, proven valid at the later one), and second, that employees
have successfully sued previous employers for giving *bad* letters of
recommendation.  In other words, no matter what kind of recommendation
letter the school wrote, they opened themselves up to a lawsuit.

Coming from California originally myself, the double-bind nature of this
decision doesn't surprise me.  I think Jim's comments about "sniffing a hint
of deep-pockets" is right on the mark.  

I wonder, however, about whether the first school had the option of *not
writing a letter of recommendation at all*.  I don't feel obligated to write
letters for everyone who asks me, and I don't write letters for people I
don't feel I can say something strongly positive about.  Couldn't the
institution, figuratively speaking, plead the 5th and free itself from
possible incrimination (and future lawsuits)?

--
Michael A. Pemberton
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Director, Writers' Workshop
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
608 S. Wright St.
Urbana, IL  61801
(217) 333-7014
michaelp@uiuc.edu