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UNH lecturer apologizes for uninviting sheriff over Black Lives Matter stance

NEW HAVEN — A week after the University of New Haven came under fire for canceling on a controversial speaker, the person responsible has come forward to ...
sheriff-clarke-and-patrick-malloy

NEW HAVEN — A week after the University of New Haven came under fire for canceling on a controversial speaker, the person responsible has come forward to make a statement.

On Monday, senior lecturer Patrick Malloy, who is part of the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, said that he not only canceled a speaking event with Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke over political reasons, but that he misrepresented his intentions to the university.

“I would like to apologize and take responsibility for my actions that have compromised the University of New Haven and put the community in a difficult position with regard to my discussions with Sheriff David Clarke to speak at the University,” Malloy said in a statement sent to FOX 61.

According to Sheriff Clarke he was asked to be a keynote speaker at the 25th Annual Markle Symposium at the end of October. However, the sheriff said his office got a phone call at the end of the summer saying he would no longer be a guest at the event.

According to Clarke, his assistant was told by a representative at UNH that it was due to his very vocal in his stance against the Black Lives Matter movement, which he refers to as Black Lies Matter.

“The gentleman was very apologetic, he was sincere, he felt bad about having to make the call but he said they were pulling back the invitation and were dis-inviting,” Sheriff Clark told FOX 61 over the phone. “He said people at the university didn’t like some of the things I’ve said about Black Lives Matter.”

Clark apparently wasn’t set to discuss his views on the movement, but rather forensics.

The school said last week that they were aware students and alumni were upset the invitation was rescinded. But the school defended its actions, saying no formal invitation was extended after they declined to provide perks requested by the sheriff, which they said included first-class airfare, a presidential hotel suite, and transportation from the airport in a black SUV.

That didn’t line up with what Clark was told, and Clark said he asks for the same terms at every speaking engagement and he was never told any of his requests to UNH were “too much.”

“They said a formal invitation was never granted, they’re lying about that,” Sheriff Clarke said. “All this stuff about a presidential suite, I’ve never in my life asked for a presidential suite. I have asked on speaking occasions for a suite because I spend several days and I have to do work and it’s kind of hard to do it at Days Inn or Motel 6.”

According to Sheriff Clarke, he has emails between his office and the university proving he was invited to speak at the event.

“I’m not demanding that they allow me to speak but they made a decision that was very distasteful and they need to just own up to it,” Sheriff Clarke said. “That’s all I’m looking for.”

Now, Malloy is conceding that it was a political move, but that the university was not aware of that. Here’s his full statement:

I would like to apologize and take responsibility for my actions that have compromised the University of New Haven and put the community in a difficult position with regard to my discussions with Sheriff David Clarke to speak at the University.

I approached Sheriff Clarke in June about speaking at the Markle Symposium. In the subsequent weeks, I exchanged multiple emails with his assistant about logistics. I was not completely accurate, though, with the information I shared with University officials. I indicated that Sheriff Clarke made a series of demands around his travel arrangements. I unintentionally misrepresented what the Sheriff asked for.

Ultimately, in collaboration with the dean of the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, we decided not to finalize his arrangements to visit campus when it was determined his appearance could potentially become politically polarizing in light of the imminent presidential election. My colleagues and I in the Lee College determined that this talk would be more appropriate for another time.

I realize that my actions put the University and its leadership at risk. I sincerely apologize to President Kaplan, the University community and Sheriff Clarke.

Meanwhile, Clark just thinks that the discussion should have been allowed, even if his views did not align with the university’s. “If someone doesn’t like my viewpoint on Black Lives Matter we should talk about it, not try to shut me down and that’s what this does. Seeing some of these colleges and universities pull back on this stuff has been very disheartening to me.”

Here are last week’s statements from the school:

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