WINONA, Minn. – The president of Minnesota College Southeast, Marsha Danielson, declined interview requests on being reprimanded formally by her boss about her behavior with staff and also dubious travel reimbursements. The boss, state colleges Chancellor Dewinder Malhotra, did, however talk with the Winona Post about his decision and admitted some people may be finding him too soft. These are excerpts from the Post interview:
“This doesn’t end with just the conversation. This doesn’t end with just laying the expectations. This doesn’t end with just the reimbursement. There is a continual monitoring frame and continual discussions with President Danielson to ensure the college community is not subjected to this behavior again and that we position MSC Southeast to continue to deliver an excellent education experience for its students, create a respectful and empowering workplace for its employee, and fulfill its vital role for the community.”
““I’m sure some people may have a difference of opinion. What I am conveying to you is, I think in this situation where an individual has publicly engaged the college community and has publicly apologized to the college community and committed to better conduct. And what I’m hearing from the college community and others in the broader Winona community is that they were not pleased by what happened, but they appreciated her taking accountability and responsibility for her actions, and they recognized also that working together and moving the college forward should be the major focus. And that may not be a unanimous view, but a few folks who have reached out to me have expressed that. So I am confident that this discipline will move the college forward and ensure that we will continue to monitor this situation.”
“Unwelcome conduct or communication that is based on actual or perceived membership in a protected class, including stereotypes of protected classes, that has a negative effect or is likely to have a negative effect on the complainant or the workplace or educational environment.”
Malhstra said other state college system administrators reviewed the evidence against Danielson before presenting a recommendation on whether Danielson violated the anti-discrimination policy, also known as 1B.1. Malhotra said that both he and those administrators determined she did not. “I don’t think it rises to the level of 1B.1, but it definitely is unacceptable behavior and violates respectful workplace,” he said.