Raleigh NC| Mary Easley Refuses Push to Resign from NC State
Former N.C. First Lady Puts University In PR Pickle
This May, the campus of NC State University and its home turf of Raleigh were buzzing, but not about the university’s upcoming graduation. The talk of the town this summer are the allegations being brought against Mary Easley, former N.C. Governor Mike Easley’s wife, regarding the means by which she managed to land a $170,000-a-year job amidst recession-induced budget cuts.
According to The News and Observer, the Easleys used personal connections and swapped business favors with now former university trustees Larry Nielsen and McQueen Campbell, to create a job in the provost’s office for Easley directing a speaker series at $80,000 a year. Last summer, however, Mrs. Easley signed a five-year contract worth approximately $850,000 that included her taking on the development of a public safety leadership center.
Perhaps Mrs. Easley’s salary and position would have been overlooked if not for the combination of a declining U.S. economy, tens of thousands of North Carolina job losses, consistent reports on NC State’s budget cuts and the ongoing FBI invesitgation surrounding the former governor’s campaign finance records.
Heightening all of the controversy and commotion is Mary Easley’s refusal to resign from her position, despite direct requests from UNC system President Erskine Bowles and NC State Chancellor James Oblinger, which begs the question — how does this look for NC State?
As the university takes all measures possible to push Easley’s resignation, including the recent moratorium on the development of her public safety leadership center, she continues to defend her job. NC State has chosen to follow through with an offensive reaction strategy in battling Easley to the bitter end — but is it helping, or is this effort simply another catalyst for damage to the university’s prestigious public image?
Brandon Said,
June 8, 2009 @ 10:50 am
We had a prestigious public image?
As a student of NC State, I can tell you that the administration seriously needs a restructure, and FAST. Jobs can be consolidated, positions eliminated, and money saved based solely on cutting the ADMINISTRATION of the school!
But what we see instead are cuts in the teaching faculty. Why would the university cut teachers when the administration is so overgrown and bloated? Oh, right, because the ADMINISTRATION is in charge of the cuts. Well, gee, I nearly forgot about that one.
Kathleen Said,
June 10, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
As a fellow student of yours I have to say I agree with you. Who is to say it stops at NC State though? I have been reading a lot of commentary lately calling for a complete investigation of the entire UNC System. In light of recent events it already seems as though there is more to just this one situation alone that anyone thought…