Board of regents should not be forgiven so easily

The selection of Linda Gooden as the new University System of Maryland Board of Regents chair reminds one of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. (“University System of Maryland regents name Linda Gooden,” Nov. 7). Her first public act: apologizing. It’s nice for her to make the statement that “everyone on the board now understands that the board’s personnel recommendations were wrong.”

However, the regents should not be so easily forgiven. As President Harry Truman liked to say: “The buck stops here.” Leaders should accept the ultimate responsibility for their decisions, both good and bad. The board’s independent review committee found dysfunction along the chain of command at College Park, which unquestionably led to the death of Jordan McNair. No one in leadership has faced the consequences for their part in the dysfunction, most notably, the athletic director and university president.

President Wallace Loh stated he was the ship’s captain who would steer the university ship ahead through the troubled waters. He was at the ship’s wheel when it ran aground. In the Navy, the ship’s captain is relieved of command, but not at the University of Maryland.(“Maryland president Wallace Loh sees surge of support amid football scandal. Here’s what leaders are saying,” Oct. 26). Make no mistake, the blame for this sordid mess is shared by all those in leadership at the University of Maryland. The question remains, will any be held accountable in the end. Rearranging the ship’s deck chairs will only ensure that dysfunction at the University of Maryland continues (“UMD’s Loh must go,” Nov. 7).