B.U. Exposure
Encyclopedia
The b.u. exposure was a student newspaper
at Boston University
during the 1970s and 1980s that received national press coverage for exposing the moral, fiscal and managerial irregularities that characterized the administration of the university under President John Silber
.
.
Harvard University Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz
advised Silber to cut all funding for student newspapers. By denying all funding to a student-run press, Silber could prevent university money from going to one of his harshest and most effective critics while hedging the issue of the students' First Amendment
rights. (Silber would later do a similar end-run against Title IX
by eliminating B.U.'s football team.) The other mainstream student newspaper, The BU News, had its funding cut off after it published a cover story in April 1976, "Has Silber Gone Too Far?" The article described how the Silber administration diminished the power of the BU student body. Silber cut off all University advertising, and the News folded within 18 months.
A newer, kinder-to-the-Administration version of The Daily News was reconstituted and allowed to rent office space on campus and to accept ads placed by the university and student organizations. The b.u. exposure, however, was forbidden any support. Silber went so far as to have any allocations made with student funds by student organizations to the b.u. exposure vetoed by the appropriate college deans. This went as far as to forbidding any student organization from buying advertising in the exposure.
The exposure, through its BU Friends of the exposure organization, fought back against the Silber Administration. In October 1977, the Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts
(CLUM), in a letter to John Silber, threatened to take legal action for withholding exposure funds in response to the paper's criticism of the BU administration. Stephen M. Kohn
of the Friends of the exposure cited CLUM's letter as "probably the most significant factor in student rights
in years." (The Daily Free Press, November 1, 1977). CLUM followed through, filing a lawsuit in January 1978. The student-run bu exposure collective also filed a lawsuit against Silber, the B.U. Board of Trustees, and Dean of Students Johan A. Madson, charging that their First Amendment
rights to free speech and freedom of the press
had been abridged.(Boston Evening Globe, January 30, 1978)
The bu exposure scored a coup against the Silber Administration when it revealed in March 1978 that B.U. had taken "advanced payments from Law and Medical School applicants as a precondition to admission". The revelation came from a transcript of a 1973 meeting of the Select Committee on University Needs. Silber denied the exposures allegations that it was selling seats at its law and medical schools, but the authenticity of the transcript was confirmed by the University on March 16. This led to national media exposure of the Silber Administration.
On February 14, 1979, there was a teach-in on the corruption of the Silber Administration at B.U.'s Morse Auditorium. The teach-in, which featured Professor Howard Zinn
, was filmed by 60 Minutes
. Zinn and other speakers issued a statement: "We declare our lack of confidence in the central administration and call for its replacement." On August 15, 1979. two bu exposure reporters were physically barred from attending a Faculty Senate meeting to hear Silber's response to the teach-in's vote of no-confidence. The reporters were barred by Dean of Student Life Madson from attending the meeting, who declared to the reporters that "There is no student press" at B.U.
The campus was being roiled by a strike of professors seeking labor union recognition for the American Association of University Professors
and a strike by clerical and technical employees represented by District 65, DWA. District 65 was the first union to beat the union busting
firm of Modern Management Methods, hired by the Silber administration to bust District 65, when David Schaff, both a member of the Union and the bu exposure collective beat 3 Ms to the punch by characterizing the union-busting firm as "outside agitators."
When the professors' strike was ended but the strike by the other employees went on, five professors, including Zinn, refused to cross the picket lines. They were targeted by Silber for termination and became known as the "B.U. Five."
, shocked the dissenters at B.U. by being pro-Silber. The piece featured an interview with b.u. exposure staffers, whom were denounced as "shorts-pants communists" by Silber during his on-camera interview with Wallace. Wallace portrayed Silber as a tough man, in a tough job. Zinn, who also was interviewed by Wallace, later said that his own crew didn't seem to like or respect Wallace, who had an imperious air.
During the 1980s, the exposure continued to reveal wrongdoing by the Silber Administration, particularly its links to local organized crime in its real estate acquisitions. Silber managed to survive a vote of no-confidence by the faculty Senate when the Board of Trustees, marshaled by Board Chairman Arthur Metcalfe, rallied to Silber. The lack of funding and the dawn of Reaganism eventually doomed the exposure, which folded during the '80s before being resurrected later in the decade.
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
during the 1970s and 1980s that received national press coverage for exposing the moral, fiscal and managerial irregularities that characterized the administration of the university under President John Silber
John Silber
John Robert Silber is an American academician and former candidate for public office. From 1971 to 1996 he was President of Boston University and from 1996 to 2003 Chancellor of the University. Since 2003 he has been its President Emeritus. In 1990, Silber took a leave of absence from the...
.
The 1970s
John Silber was appointed president of B.U. in 1971 and immediately began to attempt to quash the dissent that made the campus known as "Berkeley East" by implementing an authoritarian management style alien to most top American universities and colleges. He began scaling back the freedoms enjoyed by the students and faculty, and one of the areas he targeted was the student pressStudent newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
.
Harvard University Law School Professor Alan Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz
Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He has spent most of his career at Harvard Law School where in 1967, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor of law in its history...
advised Silber to cut all funding for student newspapers. By denying all funding to a student-run press, Silber could prevent university money from going to one of his harshest and most effective critics while hedging the issue of the students' First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
rights. (Silber would later do a similar end-run against Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
by eliminating B.U.'s football team.) The other mainstream student newspaper, The BU News, had its funding cut off after it published a cover story in April 1976, "Has Silber Gone Too Far?" The article described how the Silber administration diminished the power of the BU student body. Silber cut off all University advertising, and the News folded within 18 months.
A newer, kinder-to-the-Administration version of The Daily News was reconstituted and allowed to rent office space on campus and to accept ads placed by the university and student organizations. The b.u. exposure, however, was forbidden any support. Silber went so far as to have any allocations made with student funds by student organizations to the b.u. exposure vetoed by the appropriate college deans. This went as far as to forbidding any student organization from buying advertising in the exposure.
The exposure, through its BU Friends of the exposure organization, fought back against the Silber Administration. In October 1977, the Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
(CLUM), in a letter to John Silber, threatened to take legal action for withholding exposure funds in response to the paper's criticism of the BU administration. Stephen M. Kohn
Stephen M. Kohn
Stephen M. Kohn is an attorney for Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, a Washington, D.C., law firm specializing in employment law. The author of the first legal treatise on whistleblowing, Kohn is recognized as one of the top experts in whistleblower protection law...
of the Friends of the exposure cited CLUM's letter as "probably the most significant factor in student rights
Student rights
Student rights are those rights which protect students, here meaning those persons attending schools, universities and other educational institutions...
in years." (The Daily Free Press, November 1, 1977). CLUM followed through, filing a lawsuit in January 1978. The student-run bu exposure collective also filed a lawsuit against Silber, the B.U. Board of Trustees, and Dean of Students Johan A. Madson, charging that their First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
rights to free speech and freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
had been abridged.(Boston Evening Globe, January 30, 1978)
The bu exposure scored a coup against the Silber Administration when it revealed in March 1978 that B.U. had taken "advanced payments from Law and Medical School applicants as a precondition to admission". The revelation came from a transcript of a 1973 meeting of the Select Committee on University Needs. Silber denied the exposures allegations that it was selling seats at its law and medical schools, but the authenticity of the transcript was confirmed by the University on March 16. This led to national media exposure of the Silber Administration.
On February 14, 1979, there was a teach-in on the corruption of the Silber Administration at B.U.'s Morse Auditorium. The teach-in, which featured Professor Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
, was filmed by 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
. Zinn and other speakers issued a statement: "We declare our lack of confidence in the central administration and call for its replacement." On August 15, 1979. two bu exposure reporters were physically barred from attending a Faculty Senate meeting to hear Silber's response to the teach-in's vote of no-confidence. The reporters were barred by Dean of Student Life Madson from attending the meeting, who declared to the reporters that "There is no student press" at B.U.
The campus was being roiled by a strike of professors seeking labor union recognition for the American Association of University Professors
American Association of University Professors
The American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
and a strike by clerical and technical employees represented by District 65, DWA. District 65 was the first union to beat the union busting
Union busting
Union busting is a wide range of activities undertaken by employers, their proxies, and governments, which attempt to prevent the formation or expansion of trade unions...
firm of Modern Management Methods, hired by the Silber administration to bust District 65, when David Schaff, both a member of the Union and the bu exposure collective beat 3 Ms to the punch by characterizing the union-busting firm as "outside agitators."
When the professors' strike was ended but the strike by the other employees went on, five professors, including Zinn, refused to cross the picket lines. They were targeted by Silber for termination and became known as the "B.U. Five."
The 1980s
1979 was the high-point for dissent against the Silber administration. Early in January, the much-anticipated 60 Minutes episode aired. The episode, headlined by Mike WallaceMike Wallace (journalist)
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace is an American journalist, former game show host, actor and media personality. During his 60+ year career, he has interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers....
, shocked the dissenters at B.U. by being pro-Silber. The piece featured an interview with b.u. exposure staffers, whom were denounced as "shorts-pants communists" by Silber during his on-camera interview with Wallace. Wallace portrayed Silber as a tough man, in a tough job. Zinn, who also was interviewed by Wallace, later said that his own crew didn't seem to like or respect Wallace, who had an imperious air.
During the 1980s, the exposure continued to reveal wrongdoing by the Silber Administration, particularly its links to local organized crime in its real estate acquisitions. Silber managed to survive a vote of no-confidence by the faculty Senate when the Board of Trustees, marshaled by Board Chairman Arthur Metcalfe, rallied to Silber. The lack of funding and the dawn of Reaganism eventually doomed the exposure, which folded during the '80s before being resurrected later in the decade.
Alumni
- David K. ColapintoDavid K. ColapintoDavid K. Colapinto is an attorney for Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, a Washington, D.C., USA, law firm specializing in employment law.Colapinto was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on December 4, 1958. He received his J.D. degree from Antioch School of Law after graduating from Boston University with a...
, Esq. - Stephen M. KohnStephen M. KohnStephen M. Kohn is an attorney for Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, a Washington, D.C., law firm specializing in employment law. The author of the first legal treatise on whistleblowing, Kohn is recognized as one of the top experts in whistleblower protection law...
, Esq. - Alyce Wittenstein, Esq.
- David L. Schaff, Esq.
- Tinker Ready, journalist and adjunct faculty, Boston University College of Communication