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McPHERSON EXPLAINS...

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McPHERSON EXPLAINS...I I T Kl f' 0 L 7 ■? fl? $612.00, respectively. In heither case was the basic job security of the person involved at stake. "I asked Ms. Bautista and Mr. Philip Mcllnay, D e p u t y Superintendent for Planning, to accompany me for these reasons. First, I presumed Ms. Bautista's innocence. She was a trusted employé with whom I worked daily and whose performance had been outstanding. I had no reason to presume guilt. Second, it seemed to me that due pfocess in this instance involved giving Ms. Bautista opportunity to prove her innocence during my on-the-spot contact with officials and documents in California. As has been made clear, she was unable to do this. Third, I wanted to have Mr. Mcllnay help me in colleeting information. . , T "Given the advantage of hindsight, 1 would have made a different decisión about who accompanied me during the investigation. "In review, Ms. Bautista was given opportunity to respond on-the-spot to data gathered. Mr. Mcllnay did work directly with me in colleeting data. 1 evaluated all available information and made the necessary judgments and deci1 sions which were reflected in my May 26 1972, recommendation to the Board. '' ' M y first acquaintance with M s . Bautista occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At that time, I was Associate Superintendent for Policy Planning and Development for the School District of Philadelphia. Ms. Bautista was located on the payroll of the Planning Arm but assigned as Planning Associate for the Greater Philadelphta Chamber of Commerce's Education Council, which was directed by a member of the Board of Education of the school district. "Ms. Bautista was transferred to my office in November, 1970. Her work froml that time through June, 1971, was of al superior nature. In the spring of 1971 II asked her to accept a position as Assis-I tant to the Superintendent in Ann Arbor, I Michigan, effective July 1, 1971, and shel agreed to do so. Her work in Ann Arbor I has been outstanding, in my judgment. I "I had no knowledge that Ms. Bautis-I ta's credentials were in any way fraudu-j lent until public charges were levied inl The Ann Arbor News. I was puzzled byl her oral description of her doctoral pro-l gram in recent months, but remained insufficiently suspicious to move to an investigation ofher credentials. Deputy Superintendent for Planning "Mr. Stanley Zubel, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel, and I have coi pleted a thorough review of the credentials of Mr. Mcllnay. The inquiry occurred on June 1-2, 1972. His credentials are accurate and verified, as reported to me and to the Board of Education, including degrees at the University of Minnesota (BA) and the University of California at Santa Barbara (MA). "I have been asked to determine whether or not Mr. Mcllnay was involved in the misrepresentation of Ms. Bautista's credentials. At no time did he recommend Ms. Bautista to me for a position or support or confirm her qualifications with regard to employment. Neither has he taken any such action with Mr. Zubel, or with other trators in the Ann ATbTrTubïïcSchöóTs to the best of my knowledge. "Consistently Mr. Mcllnay has denied prior knowledge of the discrepancies in Ms. Bautista's resume or the origin oi those discrepancies. "Mr. Mcllnay's performance as Deputy Superintendent for Planning has been superior. The succèssful contract negotiations of the past year; the major revisión of the school district budget; and the retooling of the almost nonexistent capital planning program are the results substantially of his work and leadership. "I wish to express my deep regret at the anguish which has surrounded this incident, in both the school system and the community. I think that the Board and I have made the proper decisión with respect to Ms. Bautista, and that due process and delibérate speed have characterized the inquiry and dècisionmaking." Copies of the superintendent's report will be available at 4 p.m. today at the Ann Arbor Public Library and at the public schools administration office.