A public university in Kansas will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to pad the pockets (and ego) of its outgoing president who condemned a YAF lecture by Michael Knowles as “hate and misinformation,” according to a tip received through Young America’s Foundation’s Campus Bias Tip Line.
Washburn University President Dr. Jerry Farley, who is set to retire at the end of the month, will receive a pay raise of nearly $80,000 throughout the first two years of his retirement, local news station WIBW reports. The outgoing administrator, who currently makes $283,000 per year, will receive $327,000 in 2023, and $360,000 in 2024. In addition to the raise, Farley will be allowed to live in his taxpayer-funded residence until 2027, and will have a statue built of himself.
Just months ago, campus conservatives at Washburn hosted a YAF-sponsored lecture by Michael Knowles. The Daily Wire commentator gave a speech arguing that young children should never be subjected to life-altering “gender affirmation” surgeries.
Amid mounting pressure from a leftist group on campus, “Washburn Queers and Allies,” Farley sent a university-wide email condemning the speaker, the organizers, and the students who planned to attend as hateful ignoramuses:
“While I am strongly in the support of first amendment rights, I am disappointed when those rights are used to make others feel unwelcome and even unsafe in our community,” Farley wrote. He continued, adding that Washburn “does not condone the hate and misinformation spread by the speaker and his supporters.”
Despite the president’s attempt to shame students out of attending the highly-anticipated lecture, the event went forth as scheduled, with the entire auditorium filled to capacity, and many more turned away due to fire code restrictions.
It is unclear what Washburn University’s rationale is for providing Farley with such exorbitant pay and benefits–they didn’t respond to YAF’s request for comment.
“As a Washburn University graduate, this is obscene. Especially during a time of recession and inflation,” an alumnus wrote in response to a Facebook post about the retirement compensation plan.
“There is no way to justify such insanity and fiscal irresponsibility,” another alum told YAF.
This situation is a glowing example of the student loan debt crisis’ root cause, which President Joe Biden’s forgiveness plan fails to address. If universities are allowed to continue bankrolling lives of luxury for administrators at the expense of their students, the cycle of student debt will continue repeating itself.
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