The firm that recommended Norwood Teague for the Univ. of Minnesota AD position "disputes [school] President Eric Kaler’s public statements that the search process was flawed," according to a front-page piece by Emma Nelson of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. In a letter to Kaler on Friday, Atlanta-based Parker Executive Search attorney Richard L. Robbins said the firm "respectfully disagrees with any suggestion that its search process was incomplete, or that there is or should be any ‘legal recourse’ against the firm." UM "paid the firm more than $112,000" in '12 to "find and vet candidates" for the job. A recent revelation that the search did not turn up a '12 gender discrimination complaint at VCU, where Teague worked as AD before coming to UM, "drew criticism from Kaler last week." Parker defended itself through its lawyer, saying that the VCU complaint "was filed after" UM had announced Teague’s appointment as AD. According to the letter, UM's search committee "interviewed five candidates and then directed Parker Executive Search to focus its efforts on Teague." In the letter, Robbins "outlined Parker Executive Search’s background-check process and the timeline of Teague’s hiring" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 8/25). In St. Paul, David Montgomery reports top Minnesota state legislators in a letter to Kaler said they want UM to release its investigation into Teague publicly, "given the sensitive and serious nature of his resignation" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 8/25).
