Message from President Corrigan
Update, March 19, 2007:
The University and Dr. Akom acknowledge the merit in their respective views of the October 25, 2005 incident, and so came to a mutually agreeable and satisfactory resolution of their differences.
Dear Colleagues:
The October 25 incident involving Assistant Professor Antwi Akom and members of our Department of Public Safety demands the most difficult of responses in the midst of high emotion: a suspension of judgment until a full, clear picture emerges and rumors can be replaced by facts.
We know that Prof. Akom was arrested by Public Safety the evening of October 25 and that he was released on his own recognizance (without bail) the following afternoon. We know that the San Francisco District Attorney's Office is currently pursuing charges against Dr. Akom for resisting arrest and battery on a police officer.
But we cannot let the matter rest there. We are a campus community that identifies itself by a central commitment to social justice and equity. Did we fully live up to those values on October 25? To answer that question, I believe our best course is a thorough external review of this matter. With the help of respected, impartial individuals who share our values, but who will approach their task independently and neutrally, we can gain a full picture of events and the context in which they occurred.
I am establishing a two-person team to conduct this review. I am deeply pleased to announce that the Honorable Willie L. Brown, Jr. and former City Attorney Louise H. Renne have accepted my invitation. They will begin their work immediately.
I will take no further action until their review is completed.
I have been heartened by the tone of many of the messages from faculty and staff concerning this painful event. Distressed but balanced, expressing collegial concern for the well-being of our community, as well as for Dr. Akom, and avoiding a rush to judgment, these messages reflect the spirit in which I hope we can continue as we await the reviewers' report.
The very fact that this process is going forward will, I hope, provide reassurance that San Francisco State University remains a safe and supportive environment for all its members.
Robert A. Corrigan, president
