News Release
O'NEILL RESPONDS TO HENNEPIN TECH PRESIDENT'S RESIGNATION
St. Paul, MN - News broke Monday that Hennepin Technical College President Dr. Merrill Irving Jr, resigned after many accusations of harassment and discrimination from employees. Representative Marion O'Neill, R-Maple Lake, who previously called for his resignation, released the following statement.
"While this resignation is a victory today, we still have so much farther to go in protecting employees from abuse," said O'Neill, GOP Lead on the House Higher Education Committee. "The treatment endured by staff should have never be tolerated by those in a position to protect them. There were allegations substantiated by an outside investigator and yet the MNState System Office still took no action. The system failed the staff, faculty, and students of Hennepin Tech, and should never have allowed this abuse to continue unabated for six years. Even as a flood of victims were coming forward, the Chancellor, his Vice-Chancellors and the Board of Trustees took no effective action to stop the bullying and harassment. We all need answers from the Board and the MNState system leadership about how this president was allowed to continue his behavior through three contracts over six years with no evidence of discipline whatsoever."
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