COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Former Ohio State University President Gordon Gee took his time apologizing for remarks he made that were critical of the University of Notre Dame, Roman Catholics and Southeastern Conference schools, among several of his targets during off-the-cuff comments last year, records show.
Although university trustees directed Gee in a March 11 letter to begin issuing personal apologies ”promptly,” he didn’t make the first of those apologies until May 20 during a previously scheduled meeting with the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus, according to a copy of Gee’s calendar obtained by The Associated Press through a records request.
Gee followed that meeting with a series of apologetic phone calls to presidents and other officials at several universities he jabbed in Dec. 5 remarks to the university’s Athletic Council. Those apologies included a May 21 trip to Notre Dame to meet in person with the university’s president, the Rev. John Jenkins, according to the calendar and officials at Ohio State and other universities.
The university declined to directly address the delay and instead referred to the events detailed by the calendar.
”Dr. Gee made his apologies as outlined,” said university spokeswoman Gayle Saunders.
The apologies began after the university reviewed the AP’s May 13 request for the audiotape and just days before the AP first reported on the remarks on May 30. Saunders wouldn’t comment on that timing.
Gee, 69, retired July 1. He will remain at the university as a law professor, but details of his retirement package haven’t been released.
Ohio State, one of the country’s biggest universities with 65,000 students, has named provost Joseph Alutto as interim president.
Continue Reading: APNewsBreak: Ohio St. president slow to apologize
