Graham B. Spanier, President
The Penn State University
201 Old Main
University Park, PA 16802-1589

Dear President Spanier:

Thank you for your response to my comments which were recently quoted in the media regarding allegations of discrimination at Penn State University. I appreciate your public statement which commits this institution of deservedly high reputation to justice, equity, and the eradication of hate and bias throughout the state higher education system. We share the same goals in this arena, and I know that we will continue to work together to address complaints of discrimination and prejudice which may emerge at any of the Penn State campuses across the Commonwealth.

I welcome the opportunity to meet with you and members of your staff to discuss the variety of complaints we have received over the years from employees and students at Penn State related to race, religion, ethnicity, gender, disability, age, national origin, and sexual orientation. I certainly recognize that all complaints received by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission are not ultimately credited with probable cause. A finding of "no probable cause", however, does not necessarily mean that a case was without any merit. It simply means that there was not enough evidence to credit the allegation with a finding of "probable cause". For reasons of confidentiality I cannot, of course, comment on any particular cases which are currently under investigation in our agency.

Our experience teaches us that many complaints of bias or discrimination never result in cases for a variety of reasons including the fear of retaliation, a sense of powerlessness by members of minority communities, a general lack of faith in or distrust of government agencies or institutions, a desire to put the perception of harassment or discrimination behind oneself, and a belief that filing a complaint will be emotionally too stressful for the individual who has experienced the act of discrimination.

As the administrative agency responsible for investigating and adjudicating complaints of discrimination in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it is our responsibility to address every allegation of bias that comes to our attention. We do this without prejudice in every case and actively seek to determine the facts as they emerge through the process of investigation. We hold ourselves to extremely high work standards, our staff is very talented and experienced, and we work hard to offer the best possible service to everyone who comes to us for assistance.

It is clear from your letter that you are committed to addressing all of these concerns, and I applaud your efforts to tackle the difficult task of eradicating discrimination wherever it is found. Among the most challenging of these issues are the complaints that have been made in a number of public meetings we have hosted in State College over the last several years. It is painful for all of us to hear the personal stories of fear and harassment, allegations of bias and inequity, which have been shared by Women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Americans, people living with disabilities, as well as from those of different ancestries, religions, and ethnicities.

As you know our Commission has but one mandate; to ensure that all of its residents have equal access to employment opportunities, housing and commercial property, educational opportunities, and the various services offered by public accommodations within the Commonwealth.

I certainly agree with you that our staff and yours have been in regular contact and have an excellent working relationship. I would not want this incident to impact negatively on that ongoing relationship. The PHRC welcomes the opportunity to work with employers and others in an effort to educate everyone in this state about their rights and responsibilities under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.

I am confident that we will find a number of opportunities to work together to improve life for minorities and women at Penn State University. Our Centre County Advisory Council has been particularly helpful in working with members of the community to address civil rights issues as they arise and in establishing strong working relationships with local officials. We are very grateful for their efforts and for their volunteer service.

I look forward to enhancing our current partnership and to working with you to achieve our mutual objective to foster a climate which encourages the active participation of every individual while celebrating the contributions of all minorities and women equally.