Where's the heat?

A news story broke last week, under the safety of IU's spring break, which has all the makings of a potential controversy. But so far the outrage has only come from one voice. It's time to expand it to a chorus.\nIn an internal e-mail released by the University via a public records request, IU trustee Thomas Reilly Jr. had written remarks last month regarding minority recruiting that were seen as racially insensitive and sexist. Reilly had attended a conference where he met Patti Dulik, a minority and female recruiter for Purdue University, who he described as "tall, blonde, Scandinavian and attractive." \nNoting that Dulik had energy that permeated the room, Reilly wrote to his fellow trustees that "Purdue has found out that enthusiastic whites do better in black high schools in contacts, trips booked, \nfollow-ups."\nIn a rightful response, IU trustee Clarence Boone responded that he was "enraged at the overt racial implications of (Reilly's) e-mail." After sharing the e-mail with black IU alumni and educators, Boone wrote that "overwhelmingly their response was the same as my wife's and my interpretation: outrage and indignation."\nSince the story broke, Reilly has offered what we like to call a "non-apology apology," creating the impression that he's sorry without actually saying he's sorry. That sort of ambiguity is troubling. He wants to stand by himself while simultaneously abandoning himself. He wrote what he wrote, and that's not the same as merely \nmisspeaking.\nSome say Reilly could have worded himself better, but we're not sure that's really at the heart of the matter. Essentially he said attractive white women recruit minorities the best. If Reilly waters down his words but stands by his intent behind them, does that really make what he means any less antithetical, any less racially insensitive or any less sexist? Wording himself better would have been the same trash in a prettier package.\nThe trustees acknowledge, as we do too, that the underlying discussion of minority recruitment is of utmost importance. Only 4.4 percent of IU's student body is black, and white students make up a vast majority. We should be actively pursuing minority recruitment and retention, but Reilly's illogical comments don't contribute productively to that discussion. \nThose who disagree or are offended by Reilly's comments should say so loudly. Gov. Mitch Daniels, who appointed Reilly, and IU President Adam Herbert have been silent so far. We don't expect them to say anything because it would be "politically" difficult, but that shouldn't \nexcuse them.\nReilly and other trustees have said the dispute has since blown over, but that apparently must not be the case, as the e-mail exchange occurred a month ago but the story is just now getting out into the public realm of discussion. Someone still must be harboring understood resentment by leaking the story to the press. And besides, even if everything seems peachy among the board of trustees, that doesn't mean the rest of the campus community should let it slide.