Letter to the Editor: Seeking answers on the Berger settlement
Courtesy | GVSU
February 6, 2020
Dear Editor:
Mlive is reporting that Grand Valley State University will pay former football offensive coordinator Morris Berger a lump sum of $90,000 to walk away from the university. This is following his comments about Adolph Hitler in an interview with the Lanthorn newspaper.
I told several of my faculty colleagues at the university that it would be only time before we uncovered what the payout was. Former coach Berger will walk away with $90,000 after ten days of work and embarrassing Grand Valley State University and the GVSU family in manners that are difficult to put into words. Family and colleagues from across the nation and as far away as Scandinavia have asked me, “What is going on at GVSU?”
To put the amount Mr. Berger was paid into perspective, one can juxtapose these funds to the amount my wife makes as a dedicated, long-serving and hardworking adjunct professor at the university. She would need to teach twenty-eight (28) classes to earn $90,000, and with zero benefits. Typically, she teaches one to two classes per semester. Teaching two classes per semester, she would need to work seven (7) years to earn the amount GVSU paid a former assistant football coach for ten days of work.
I will find it difficult to share this news with my wife. It is yet another example of the priorities of the university when it comes to our adjunct faculty. Thirty percent of the faculty at GVSU are adjunct, they teach fifty percent of the courses and sixty-eight percent of first year classes.
I look forward to an explanation from those who made the decision to pay Mr. Berger $90,000, due in a lump sum no later than Feb. 15, as to this: Why? I do not think I am alone in my hope for answers.
Mr. Berger should have never been let go, that’s why they are paying him – he was under contract and let go for no reason – this is yet another example of political correctness brought on by people without intellectual curiosity – I am sorry you have no understanding of this grave injustice and were not out there leading the charge to protect this man’s right to speak on the college campus, a place where one is supposed to be exposed to diverse thought and open discussion – he qualified his statement several times and yet those who are obviously comprehension-ally challenged didn’t understand and now we are embarrassed by his firing and the students/schools complete lack of historical perspective – what an opportunity missed to discuss this and other historical figures – oh well huh? – his life means nothing to you, its all about you and your wife and the amount of work you have to do to earn money – did someone force you to pick the work you and your wife are employed in today? – however, you are free to teach someplace else if you want, he will probably be blackballed by more of the unwashed masses who have been taught to think only one way and all others be damned by you biased narrow minded professors – good luck