Not the first time a culture of political bias at UND has been a problem
MINOT, N.D. — One of the most confounding realities of this moment in history is that millions upon millions of Americans have lost faith in some of our society’s most important institutions.
The government. The news media. And, most importantly for this particular column, academia.
It is through that lens we must consider the unfortunate departure of Eric Plummer from his position as chief of police at the University of North Dakota.
Plummer, by all accounts, was very popular with students and good at his job.
“During his time at UND, Plummer has transformed public safety on campus, with improved lighting, more open spaces, improved social media relationships with students and the public, 24/7 safety escorts, vehicle service program and more,” the UND newsletter for faculty and staff stated when he departed Grand Forks for a new gig in Virginia.
Why did Plummer leave North Dakota? In a discrimination complaint filed against UND, he stated he felt pressured by a campus vice president into divulging who he voted for in the 2016 election and was subsequently ostracized, professionally, when he revealed that it was Donald Trump. He alleges, in his complaint, that he was left out of work meetings and events and forced to operate in a confrontational environment.
“I was (looking for another job) and it was specifically the reason I was looking,” Plummer told reporter Adam Kurtz. “I was looking at leaving because of the environment.”
