In an interview with ScientificAmerican.com last month, McGee claimed that the college had dismissed all of the complaints against him. He alleged in the court documents that the college failed to respond to his requests for "human resource training," for faculty and staff, and failed to assist McGee "in holding those faculty members accountable." He also alleges that the college gave him "conflicting instructions as to whether and how to terminate subordinate faculty members." The college would not comment on the veracity of his claim or the status of complaints against him.
Earlier this month someone identifying himself as McGee apparently raised the ire of several Wikipedia users as he struggled to defend McGee's reputation on the site. A user from the Albany area, who repeatedly identified himself as Glenn McGee, noted on the discussion pages that he "identified retaliatory and inaccurate edits on [a] biographical page for myself" and eliminated a reference to the "provocative use of 'controversy'" regarding his departure. He also replaced a hyperlink to a lengthy June 16 Scientific American.com article about him with an earlier, brief account of his departure. With respect to McGee's apparent modifications, Wikipedia user "Xymmax" noted, "Some of the details here make the article sound more like a curriculum vitae than a neutral biography."
Last week, the user using McGee’s name balked when the community proposed deleting his biography altogether, because he was not sufficiently notable: "It is pretty obvious that this academic serves on more commissions, editorial boards, and has been in more national and international media than most any academic, let alone of his age, and is widely recognized as a leader in bioethics, itself the fastest growing academic field."
On June 26, AMBI announced that it would no longer be the headquarters for The American Journal of Bioethics, the journal McGee co-founded, and that AMBI's online site would no longer be located at the "bioethics.org" Web address, which is registered in McGee's name. According to McGee's recently updated information on the AMBI Web site, he is now the John A. Balint Endowed Chair Emeritus and the director of the iBioethics program in New York State.
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Add CommentHas anyone asked the students what they think? And is the administration (specifically, Deans Verdile and Pohl) ) reassuring the students that they care about what happens to them and that the program with continue?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs the former Director of Graduate Studies, I can answer Las Vegas Lola's questions both with resounding "No"s. In fact, the reason that I resigned from the College and the Institute was because the administration showed no concern for the students' interests or right to know what was going at AMBI for more than two weeks after Glenn McGee was no longer Director of the Institute. As the then overseer of all the online graduate programs, I was specifically told, as were the other faculty, not to tell anyone outside the building, including graduate program students and faculty, about Dr. McGee's removal as director due to the potential effects upon applications, enrollment, and drop outs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOnce students found out about this significant change at the Institute, questions came flying in from students asking, "What is happening at AMBI?" However, I was not given the liberty to tell the students what was going on, and in fact was told to lie during advising appointments and by email and to tell them nothing about what was happening, including whether McGee would be teaching a class within a few weeks. Moreover, I was specifically told that if my personal feelings about the detrimental effects of McGee's removal were to get in the way of my silence, that the administration would need to "talk to me" about that. More than a dozen students wrote letters asking about Dr. McGee's status and the future of the program, but I was only allowed to reply when I assured the administration that I would be a "cheerleader" for the program and share none of my reservations about the future of the Institute or the impact of McGee's no longer being director on the graduate program.
To recap: the Administration ignored dozens of student complaints, told the faculty to hide what they had done, then offered me a $40,000 bribe--a permanent salary increase--to toe the party line. I no longer could in good conscience serve as Director over a program in a College where the concern for student interests was so disregarded.
It hardly needs to be said that this article portrays me as having abandoned my students. I agree with the last post: why didn't someone ask my students whether I spent hundreds of hours on advising them, whether or not I was an honest and effective Director, and whether they believe I would sell them out for a raise, let alone lie and potentially ruin their careers?
I fail to see how this story, note I say story and not article because it does not deserve to be called as such, falls under the category of "top stories" on the website of Scientific American. Never in my life would I have expected a headline of "Embattled bioethicist sues Albany Medical College over severance package" to grace the pages of this magazine or its associated website. I seriously doubt that your readership comes to the site to read things such as this. It is as bizarre as when CNN has more pieces on Britney Spears than it does on anything else on its site. Please return to your science reporting roots and shy away from becoming an unsubstantiated gossip column.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a student in the Bioethics program, I can only speak to what I have personal knowledge of. And I can tell you for a fact that I have been contacted by the faculty and my mentor within the program. In addition, I also spoke with Dr. Pohl at a recent dinner for an onsite class that I had attended. I have been given assurances that the program will continue and that faculty that had previously left or disassociated themselves from the program are interested in working with AMBI. Given the nature of the accusations against Dr. McGee, I do not think that a 2 week delay in releasing this information was either unreasonable or unwarranted. It is obvious that this is a HR issue which has serious implications for Dr. McGee's reputation. As to Ms. Johnson's statements regarding what the administration did or did not offer or what they did or did not say, I was not there so I cannot and will not comment on those statements.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe facts of this case are clear: Dr. McGee is no longer the John Balint chair nor the director of AMBi. The HR piece comes with confidentiality, to protect the demoted employee (particularly this employee who has allegedly paid so much to lawyers (divorce and libel). Ms. Johnson, the future Mrs. MCGee, has really gone over the edge with her claim of a bribe...for what ? The program is strong, faculty are excited and ready to work collaboratively and yes without Dr. McGee who has taught exactly one course last year (to not so wonderful reviews). This ugly, inflated story is a true tragedy but it is like a reality tv show that should be OVER.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI was also at the summer practicum at Albany Med. for AMBI. We were reassured by staff of AMBI and the medical college of the continuance of the program in Bioethics that was in place before Dr. McGee was on staff. I will continue as a student until I graduate in May of next year without reservation. I did not have Dr. Johnson or Dr. McGee as instructors so cannot comment on them professionally. I can state unequivically the other professors are very supportive, sincere, and dedicated to the advancement of Bioethics as a program to train myself and fellow students (present and future) to be the professionals we want to be.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe only complaint I have is having fellow students left hanging because Dr. Johnson quit less then a week before she was supposed to teach a class this summer. She may have felt what she did was justified, but she left her students in a lurch, an unprofessional decision as far as I am concerned. But, that is just my opinion.
Are the medical school folks really trying to disown their obligations to Feinberg and Glenn? -- McGee was acting as the medical school's agent -- they put him in position of power and fame and publicized it to their benefit, now they are ready to toss him and all the good he did aside. Glenn and Feinberg would have no reason to doubt that McGee had the power to offer them jobs. The medical school can claim that they weren't hired weren't hired 'officially' but that is exactly how agency litigation starts -- The organization claims it isn't bound by what the agent promised.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAh, Ms. Johnson, could it be that perhaps the administration of the AMBI is less ethical than the man they bounced? (A man who does seem to have faults.) What you are describing is the SOP of university administrations everywhere.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is sounding more and more like an insider clash, with a veteran backstabber somewhere in the background. My eyes would be drawn to the man behind the curtain, who would be likely to be either the next director, a good friend of McGee's successor, or else a colleague setting up some quid-pro-quo trading chips that he/she can cash in later for support to get grant money.
Those reading this who think academia is above such gangster politics are sadly mistaken. That is how things are run. Some areas of science are extremely nasty, while some are pretty decent.
Well, to be fair, anybody who has been married more than once might be 'guilty' of bad judgment -- and we don't know what shape the marriage was in before the alleged affair started. It certainly sounds like the marriage is irreparably broken, now. I'm sure that the soon-to-be ex doesn't deserve to be treated badly and It is very sad that the divorce is acrimonious -- the children are ones who will suffer -- I hope for all of their sakes that bitter feelings can be put aside and the best interests of the children be put first.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is so off topic, it's not even funny, but since it is out there... I am not sure the current wife should be so outraged and hurt since SHE was the cause of McGee's first divorce. SHE was the young ingenue at Penn (one of many) and he, the serial philanderer, using his power to seduce. She was a homewrecker, herself, once, too.
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