accadacca
04-21-2017, 05:15 PM
Heard about this earlier in the week...boy has it turned into a sh$t storm for the University of Utah and the state. :topes:
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SALT LAKE CITY — An angry Jon Huntsman Sr. on Friday called for the ousting of University of Utah President David Pershing, saying he "should have been let go a long time ago."
Huntsman, still seething about the university's firing (http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=43916078) earlier this week of Dr. Mary Beckerle, Huntsman Cancer Institute director and chief executive officer, claims the leadership at the school is incompetent and unethical, and says the firing was done out of greed.
Huntsman called on the "people of Utah" to help remove Pershing from his post, and he wants the same for Dr. Vivian Lee, CEO of University of Utah Health Care, dean of the U. School of Medicine, and senior vice president for health sciences.
Pershing and Lee sent an email Monday informing faculty and staff that Beckerle's tenure heading the institute was over. Presumably, they were also the ones who informed Beckerle she was being fired in an email sent to her earlier that day, according to Huntsman.
"It's just a pathetic, pathetic situation that needs to be corrected, and only the people of Utah … can correct it by (sending) letters, by getting rid of this president and particularly this woman (Lee) who runs the university for him and is completely unethical and untrustworthy," Huntsman said on KSL Newsradio's "The Doug Wright Show."
When asked Friday to respond to Huntsman's tirade, Pershing sent a prepared statement that did not address the call for his dismissal.
"We are so grateful for everything the Huntsman family has done to help the university. We sincerely want to continue to work with them to further Jon's wonderful vision," Pershing said. "The Huntsman Cancer Institute is one of the crown jewels of the University of Utah, and I am committed to ensuring its continued success."
Lee could not immediately be reached for comment.
In a statement Thursday, University of Utah Health Care spokeswoman Kathy Wilets said the academic health care system cares about its employes, "and we want to support them in the good work they do.”
“We understand emotions are running high, but as you can imagine, out of respect for everyone involved, we can’t provide further information about personnel issues," Wilets said.
In the email announcing the end of Beckerle's tenure, Pershing and Lee praised her for bringing Huntsman Cancer Institute to "new heights" but didn't address why she was fired or discuss any other circumstances of her termination. As of Friday, the university had not commented on the reasoning behind the decision.
Dr. Mary Beckerle has been fired as CEO and director of the Huntsman Cancer Institute in a move that has drawn the outrage of founder Jon Huntsman Sr., who on Tuesday promised lawsuits are to come and said the university has been acting unethically.
Huntsman, a billionaire businessman and well-known philanthropist, provided the funds to found Huntsman Cancer Institute in 1993. The Huntsman Cancer Foundation, currently directed by son Peter Huntsman, contributes roughly one-third of the institute's funding, according to information posted online.
Huntsman said he believes the U.'s goal is to aid the finances of University Hospital by using money from Huntsman Cancer Institute, which he says is more successful.
"The whole deal at the university is to take us over, so it will fill … the minuses, the losses at the University Hospital. They think by stealing our money, by taking the money from Huntsman Cancer (Institute), that some way or another will help make them look better," he told Wright.
A full-page advertisement in both the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune on Friday — attributed to Huntsman and Huntsman Cancer Institute — accuses university administrators of being "over bloated, inept and uncaring."
The ad says: "Grateful appreciation to our valiant cancer patients, doctors, researchers, staff and the marvelous university students. Thanks also to a thoughtful Legislature and the great citizens of Utah for their support. Our only goal is to eradicate cancer — with the world's finest institute and hospital and its world-renowned leader, Dr. Mary Beckerle.
"We must not tolerate an over bloated, inept and uncaring University of Utah administration who are determined to derail this life-saving work."
Huntsman praised the success of the institute.
"I just hope (people) will understand that we have a great center. It's going full-bore. We have the best treatment in the world. It's been recognized as one of the top five in the whole world," he said. "It's a tragedy that when things are going so well, they come out of nowhere and try to pillage us and take the money."
Huntsman also claimed the university has not paid $65 million in obligations to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation for improvements and expansions on the Huntsman Cancer Institute campus.
Huntsman told KSL earlier this week that he planned to file lawsuits, and reiterated that intent Friday. He specifically mentioned a defamation lawsuit on Beckerle's behalf.
Huntsman also criticized Gov. Gary Herbert, saying the governor's response to Beckerle's dismissal shows he was not taking the situation seriously enough.
"The governor said, 'Well, I'm going to look into it. My wife told me there's something going on up there.' I just about died — just about died," Huntsman told Wright.
"I supported him. He succeeded our son, Jon (Huntsman) Jr.," he said. "I'm just ready to cry every day. This is my life's work. Our family's put every penny we've made into it."
Herbert's office declined to comment Friday when reached by KSL.
Huntsman also attacked H. David Burton, chairman of the U. board of trustees.
"(Burton) is the one who ruined Utah Transit Authority, and now he came over and now he's chairman of the board of trustees," he said. "I told the governor last night, 'Can't you pick somebody in this state who is pro-cancer (research) and who is willing to make Utah stand tall and strong?'"
Huntsman told KSL this week that a $250 million donation from the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, to be distributed over eight years, was actively being negotiated on the same day Beckerle was fired.
"At the very moment, (Pershing) was negotiating with us and telling us, 'Oh, we're so excited for the next eight years,'" he told Wright on Friday. "And (saying), 'We'd like the director of (Huntsman) Cancer Institute to report directly to me. … It's a large enough institute to report directly to me because it's a large enough institute that she should have that authority by now.' We were just in that discussion when the word came to us."
Beckerle served as director and CEO of the institute for 11 years. Kathleen Cooney, chairwoman of the Department of Internal Medicine, was named interim director of Huntsman Cancer Institute earlier this week. No details about finding a permanent replacement for Beckerle have been released.
About 100 protesters — among them researchers, students and patients — delivered a letter to Pershing's office Monday, demanding an explanation for Beckerle's firing. By Friday afternoon, more than 2,100 people had signed an online petition (https://www.change.org/p/university-of-utah-president-and-board-of-trustees-reinstate-dr-mary-beckerle-open-letter-of-support) on change.org calling for her to be reinstated.https://beacon.deseretconnect.com/beacon.gif?cid=505356&pid=4¬rack
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=43950798&nid=148&title=angry-jon-huntsman-sr-calls-for-ousting-of-u-president
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SALT LAKE CITY — An angry Jon Huntsman Sr. on Friday called for the ousting of University of Utah President David Pershing, saying he "should have been let go a long time ago."
Huntsman, still seething about the university's firing (http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=43916078) earlier this week of Dr. Mary Beckerle, Huntsman Cancer Institute director and chief executive officer, claims the leadership at the school is incompetent and unethical, and says the firing was done out of greed.
Huntsman called on the "people of Utah" to help remove Pershing from his post, and he wants the same for Dr. Vivian Lee, CEO of University of Utah Health Care, dean of the U. School of Medicine, and senior vice president for health sciences.
Pershing and Lee sent an email Monday informing faculty and staff that Beckerle's tenure heading the institute was over. Presumably, they were also the ones who informed Beckerle she was being fired in an email sent to her earlier that day, according to Huntsman.
"It's just a pathetic, pathetic situation that needs to be corrected, and only the people of Utah … can correct it by (sending) letters, by getting rid of this president and particularly this woman (Lee) who runs the university for him and is completely unethical and untrustworthy," Huntsman said on KSL Newsradio's "The Doug Wright Show."
When asked Friday to respond to Huntsman's tirade, Pershing sent a prepared statement that did not address the call for his dismissal.
"We are so grateful for everything the Huntsman family has done to help the university. We sincerely want to continue to work with them to further Jon's wonderful vision," Pershing said. "The Huntsman Cancer Institute is one of the crown jewels of the University of Utah, and I am committed to ensuring its continued success."
Lee could not immediately be reached for comment.
In a statement Thursday, University of Utah Health Care spokeswoman Kathy Wilets said the academic health care system cares about its employes, "and we want to support them in the good work they do.”
“We understand emotions are running high, but as you can imagine, out of respect for everyone involved, we can’t provide further information about personnel issues," Wilets said.
In the email announcing the end of Beckerle's tenure, Pershing and Lee praised her for bringing Huntsman Cancer Institute to "new heights" but didn't address why she was fired or discuss any other circumstances of her termination. As of Friday, the university had not commented on the reasoning behind the decision.
Dr. Mary Beckerle has been fired as CEO and director of the Huntsman Cancer Institute in a move that has drawn the outrage of founder Jon Huntsman Sr., who on Tuesday promised lawsuits are to come and said the university has been acting unethically.
Huntsman, a billionaire businessman and well-known philanthropist, provided the funds to found Huntsman Cancer Institute in 1993. The Huntsman Cancer Foundation, currently directed by son Peter Huntsman, contributes roughly one-third of the institute's funding, according to information posted online.
Huntsman said he believes the U.'s goal is to aid the finances of University Hospital by using money from Huntsman Cancer Institute, which he says is more successful.
"The whole deal at the university is to take us over, so it will fill … the minuses, the losses at the University Hospital. They think by stealing our money, by taking the money from Huntsman Cancer (Institute), that some way or another will help make them look better," he told Wright.
A full-page advertisement in both the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune on Friday — attributed to Huntsman and Huntsman Cancer Institute — accuses university administrators of being "over bloated, inept and uncaring."
The ad says: "Grateful appreciation to our valiant cancer patients, doctors, researchers, staff and the marvelous university students. Thanks also to a thoughtful Legislature and the great citizens of Utah for their support. Our only goal is to eradicate cancer — with the world's finest institute and hospital and its world-renowned leader, Dr. Mary Beckerle.
"We must not tolerate an over bloated, inept and uncaring University of Utah administration who are determined to derail this life-saving work."
Huntsman praised the success of the institute.
"I just hope (people) will understand that we have a great center. It's going full-bore. We have the best treatment in the world. It's been recognized as one of the top five in the whole world," he said. "It's a tragedy that when things are going so well, they come out of nowhere and try to pillage us and take the money."
Huntsman also claimed the university has not paid $65 million in obligations to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation for improvements and expansions on the Huntsman Cancer Institute campus.
Huntsman told KSL earlier this week that he planned to file lawsuits, and reiterated that intent Friday. He specifically mentioned a defamation lawsuit on Beckerle's behalf.
Huntsman also criticized Gov. Gary Herbert, saying the governor's response to Beckerle's dismissal shows he was not taking the situation seriously enough.
"The governor said, 'Well, I'm going to look into it. My wife told me there's something going on up there.' I just about died — just about died," Huntsman told Wright.
"I supported him. He succeeded our son, Jon (Huntsman) Jr.," he said. "I'm just ready to cry every day. This is my life's work. Our family's put every penny we've made into it."
Herbert's office declined to comment Friday when reached by KSL.
Huntsman also attacked H. David Burton, chairman of the U. board of trustees.
"(Burton) is the one who ruined Utah Transit Authority, and now he came over and now he's chairman of the board of trustees," he said. "I told the governor last night, 'Can't you pick somebody in this state who is pro-cancer (research) and who is willing to make Utah stand tall and strong?'"
Huntsman told KSL this week that a $250 million donation from the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, to be distributed over eight years, was actively being negotiated on the same day Beckerle was fired.
"At the very moment, (Pershing) was negotiating with us and telling us, 'Oh, we're so excited for the next eight years,'" he told Wright on Friday. "And (saying), 'We'd like the director of (Huntsman) Cancer Institute to report directly to me. … It's a large enough institute to report directly to me because it's a large enough institute that she should have that authority by now.' We were just in that discussion when the word came to us."
Beckerle served as director and CEO of the institute for 11 years. Kathleen Cooney, chairwoman of the Department of Internal Medicine, was named interim director of Huntsman Cancer Institute earlier this week. No details about finding a permanent replacement for Beckerle have been released.
About 100 protesters — among them researchers, students and patients — delivered a letter to Pershing's office Monday, demanding an explanation for Beckerle's firing. By Friday afternoon, more than 2,100 people had signed an online petition (https://www.change.org/p/university-of-utah-president-and-board-of-trustees-reinstate-dr-mary-beckerle-open-letter-of-support) on change.org calling for her to be reinstated.https://beacon.deseretconnect.com/beacon.gif?cid=505356&pid=4¬rack
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=43950798&nid=148&title=angry-jon-huntsman-sr-calls-for-ousting-of-u-president