Students receive politically charged e-mail from employee

Four hundred and ninety students received an apology e-mail from associate vice president for student development Tina Cade last week after an employee at the Office of Multicultural Affairs sent a prior email encouraging them to vote Democratic during Tuesday's midterm elections.

"PLEASE VOTE! OBAMA NEEDS YOUR HELP!" read the line of text above administrative assistant Adraine Kennedy's signature.

The e-mail, sent last Wednesday, described an incident in which Rand Paul supporters stomped the head of Lauren Valle, an activist with the progressive organization MoveOn.

"This is upsetting and outrageous and fundamentally anti-democratic," Kennedy's e-mail said. "What's worse, it's part of a growing pattern of right-wing violence and intimidation, fueled by violent rhetoric from Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Sharron Angle, and others."

When she sent the e-mail, Kennedy said she had been impulsive. She was disturbed by the video [of Valle being assaulted], and said, "I did not think there was any wrongdoing; being a woman myself and watching that video made me feel I needed to get the word out."

She said she was forwarded the e-mail, and described how she chose her recipients: "The e-mail went out to multicultural students of color. That's the only listserv we use in the office."

Last Thursday, Cade sent her apology.

"We recognize that there are clear boundaries that we must observe as an institution," Cade's e-mail read. "That boundary was overstepped in the email referenced above and was the independent action of a single staff member."

During her interview, Cade described Kennedy's action as "inappropriate."

"We don't use our listserv to promote social issues," she said. "We don't take sides."

Both Kennedy and Cade confirmed that some students had objected to receiving the e-mail, and requested to be taken off the e-mail list.

"Some people wrote me a very long e-mail," Kennedy said. "They were giving me their views on their right to choose."

When asked if Kennedy's employment at the university was at stake, Cade replied that she would not discuss personnel issues, but added, "I can assure you that this kind of e-mail won't be forwarded in the future."

Contact staff writer Tanveer Ahmed at tanveer.ahmed@richmond.edu