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GREEK LIFE More than 500 new members of the KU fraternity and sorority community attended this weekend's orientation. PAGE 3A
SPORTS A packed house at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center greeted the Kansas men's basketball team for its open scrimmage. PAGE 1B
KANSAN
VOL. 115 ISSUE 9
MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2004
Guide
Ex-president files contract suit against University
BY ANDY HYLAND
ahyland@kansan.com
ahyland STAFF WRITER
www.kansan.com
Fred B. Williams, the former president of the KU Alumni Association who was fired in May, is suing the University for more than $2.2 million dollars for a breach of contract, said Roger Stanton, Williams' attorney.
Williams, 58, served as the association's president and chief executive officer since 1983 and was under contract until June 2008.
Stanton said Williams' contract provided he be paid three years' salary if he was terminated, and four years' salary if no notice was given before the termination.
Alumni association executive board members failed to give him the notice, and they did not give him the money provided in the contract, Stanton said.
"I don't think that' s quite fair," Stanton said. "I think a jury will think the same way, so we're going to give them a chance to hear it."
them a chance to hear it. Williams filed his lawsuit last Thursday in Douglas County District Court. The suit claims breach of contract, defamation and false impression Williams had embezzled from the group.
group. Stanton said the association listed varied reasons for Williams' firing, such as not being nice enough to employees and being too political with conversations regarding employees. Stanton believes these reasons were not sufficient.
The filing read that firing Williams "abruptly ended and destroyed" his career, according to the Associated Press.
In the documents filed with the suit, the association gave four reasons for firing Williams: alleged failures to supervise his staff, to deal with problems within the association, to follow direction from the executive committee not to disparage University administrators or to retaliate against his staff for the committee's investigation.
Stanton said that he made numerous unsuccessful attempts to settle the case through a mediator.
"He honored the contract and turned down an opportunity to work elsewhere," Stanton said. "They didn't honor their end of the contract."
The lawsuit claim Williams was paid $200,000 a year, received favorable annual reviews and regular salary increases, the lawsuit claims. He was instrumental in the association's success, including a more than 50 percent membership increase.
the lawsuit outlines the costs to the association as $962,000 in salary and projected raises, just more than $490,000 in benefits through the remainder of the contract term and $778 in salary and benefits Williams claims under a wrongful termination clause in the contract.
R. Lawrence Ward, the alumni association's lead attorney on the case, did not immediately return a telephone message left yesterday at his home in Kansas City, Mo.
Stanton said this was not a difficult case, and that he didn't know why the Alumni Association acted the way it did.
Edited by Ryan Greene. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Construction workers labor on an area of the new Underground at Wescoe near the future location for Chick-Fil-A. The dining area was called Wescoe Terrace and closed in May for renovations. It will reopen September 9 or 10. Amanda Kim Stuartree/Akinsin
Eatery to open soon Sept. 9 or 10 is target date for re-opening
BY LAURA FRANCOVIGIA
lfrancovigia@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
The wait is almost over.
The war is almost over.
Starting Sept. 9 or 10, students won't have to eat a soggy sandwich out of their backpacks or make a mad dash to the Kansas Union for lunch. The food court formerly known as Wescoe Terrace will have more substantial lunch choices when it reopens as the Underground at Wescoe.
The renovation, which began last May, will cost more than $1 million when complete. Seating will increase by about 30 percent, and the building will have 2,500 square feet of more space.
Food options at the Underground will include Chick-Fil-A, Pizza Hut, JUMP Asian cuisine, a sushi bar, a deli, a salad bar, a convenience store and a coffee bar.
of Wescoe Terrace
Tracy Rutler, Kansas City, Kan., graduate student, remembered the hassles
of wescow terrace. "You could never find a seat around noon," she said.
Michael Myers, assistant directoretail of KU Memorial Unions food services, said a primary goal of the design is to increase seating and food area. He said the Underground also is designed for efficiency because lines at Wescoe Terrace were long and crowded.
SEE EATERY ON PAGE GA
Flooding main storm concern
BY STEPHANE FARLEY
sfarley@kansan.com
KANSAN STAF WRITER
On Monday night the Lawrence Police Department performed 16 water rescues between 7 p.m. and midnight at Wakarusa Drive, 19th, Harper and Harvard Streets. Friday night police were out again and performed 10 rescues beginning at 10 p.m. and ending around midnight.
Police driving through campus last Monday had a different job than keeping the peace — they were trying to get people to go to their basements. But students kept running across campus with no hope of keeping dry, holding a jacket or a shred of newspaper over their heads.
Jennifer King, Dallas senior, said she was watching television on Monday night when she heard the storm and decided to turn to Channel 9 to watch the weather. King said she didn't know what she was going to do until a neighbor called and said King could come to the apartment one level below King's.
KING
"I wasn't taking any chances," King said.
King, who lives at Hanover Place, 15th and Kentucky Streets, said she thought apartment complexes needed to have better shelter for their residents.
King remembered being on the 10th floor of McColum Hall during the tornado that struck Aberdeen Apartments and Townhomes, 27th Street and Wakarusa Drive, two years ago. King said she ran from the 10th floor all the way down to the basement of the hall when the sirens went off.
"For a fire alarm I walk down the stairs, for a tornado I run down the stairs," King said.
People don't take cover immediately when a warning is issued because they want to make their own decisions said Paula Phillips, director of Douglas County emergency management. The primary issue of Monday's storm was the amount of rain gathered in the streets combined with people still driving. Phillips said people needed to avoid driving on streets where the water is moving. It only takes 7-12 inches of moving water to flip a car over.
"Because it's not happening to them, they're going to wait until it does." Phillips said.
Jane Fergus, property manager of Highpointe Apartments at 6th and Iowa Streets, said she and other employees told residents to seek shelter in the complex's clubhouse, which contains a locker room and workout room.
She said some people expected to see a tornado before it hits and would only take action when there was a direct and personal threat to their safety.
SEE FLOODING ON PAGE 6A
Congressman looks for 'Moore' exposure
BY ANDY HYLAND
ahyland@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Christie Appelhanz, communications director for the Moore for Congress campaign, said Moore was coming so that he could hear firsthand from students about what they want from him.
U. S. Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) from the third Congressional district is scheduled to visit the University of Kansas tomorrow, making several stops around campus throughout the day.
"He's always happy to get back on campus and visit with fellow Jayhawks." Appelhanz said.
Moore graduated
MOORE
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with an undergraduate degree from the University in 1967.
He will be visiting classes, assisting a voter registration drive on Wescoe Beach and shaking hands and visiting with students at Mrs. E's, Appellhanz said.
Moore's Republican opponent in the primary, Kris Kobach, is planning a similar campus visit in late September. Corrie Kangas, scheduler for the Kobach campaign, said.
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Justin McFarland, Lenexa senior and chair of the KU College Republicans said he didn't think the campus visits would give either candidate an edge over the other but it would be beneficial to come to the University.
"The big advantage is, it introduces them to the students and lets them put a face with the name," he said.
SEE CONGRESSMAN ON PAGE 6A
Discrimination debate
Black farmers sued the Department of Agriculture for discrimination, but the new census shows increase in diversity. PAGE 5A
Chips-ahoy
Intel's newest development is a chip that is smaller than ever, but has a huge amount of hype behind it. PAGE 5A
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Index
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News Briefs 2A
Weather 2A
Opinion 4A
Sports 1B
Cornbs 6B
Crossword 6B
Classifieds 7B
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