Judge: UGA needs to clear name of journalism dean

ATLANTA — A federal judge is recommending that the University of Georgia clear the name of the campus’ former journalism dean.

U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Christopher Hagy wrote in court documents Friday that UGA should rescind sexual harassment charges against John Soloski. The judge called the university’s probe into the harassment allegations made by employee Janet Jones Kendall “arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable.”

Soloski resigned from the deanship at UGA’s College of Journalism in 2005 after Kendall filed a complaint against him for making comments about her appearance. He sued the university in 2006, alleging UGA President Michael Adams used the harassment allegation to settle a long-standing grudge and force him to resign.

The university has 10 days to appeal the judge’s recommendation. If they do not appeal, the recommendations become a court order.

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Information from: The Red and Black, http://www.redandblack.com