Althouse: St. John’s University's so-called “Dean of Mean” Cecilia Chang commits suicide "after a disastrous stint on the witness stand that left jurors laughing at her tortured explanations."

November 6, 2012

St. John’s University's so-called “Dean of Mean” Cecilia Chang commits suicide "after a disastrous stint on the witness stand that left jurors laughing at her tortured explanations."

"Under withering cross-examination by prosecutors, Chang's answers became so lengthy and circuitous that the judge continually reminded her to simply answer yes or no...."

34 comments:

Known Unknown said...: “That could be why wanted to testify -- sayonara,” Johnson said, outside the presence of jurors. “She wanted to get it off her chest.”

Racism fail. Chang is not Japanese.; 11/6/12, 11:37 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Racism fail."

Oh, my! And from a federal judge. Sterling Johnson Jr.; 11/6/12, 11:43 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: A real Dragon Lady!; 11/6/12, 11:44 AM
Crunchy Frog said...: Undoubtedly, someone in her family will attempt to sue SJU for wrongful death...; 11/6/12, 11:49 AM
Kevin said...: Aren't the tags, "humiliation, laughing, law, suicide" like the 4 stages of life or something?; 11/6/12, 11:51 AM
がんこもん said...: Typical university administrator, if a little more blatant than most. I remember when i was in university, the professors were usually forced to share Spartan offices, but on the rare occasions I visited the administration offices, they all seemed to have secretaries, wall-to-wall carpet, sumptuously appointed offices and lots of other perks. And this was many years ago. I can only imagine how much these parasites have acquired since that time.

Time to start getting rid of university administrators, methinks. Starting with the 'diversity' fraudsters.; 11/6/12, 11:53 AM
がんこもん said...: Typical university administrator, if a little more blatant than most. I remember when i was in university, the professors were usually forced to share Spartan offices, but on the rare occasions I visited the administration offices, they all seemed to have secretaries, wall-to-wall carpet, sumptuously appointed offices and lots of other perks. And this was many years ago. I can only imagine how much these parasites have acquired since that time.

Time to start getting rid of university administrators, methinks. Starting with the 'diversity' fraudsters.; 11/6/12, 11:54 AM
PatCA said...: I know a couple of foreign-born academics like that. Had students and secretaries carry their bags of groceries, books...I guess in some places you really can be queen for a day.; 11/6/12, 11:54 AM
Baron Zemo said...: Sterling Johnson Jr. is an African American. If you have any experience at all with African Americans you would know that they are generally very racist in their views about Asian Americans. The Korean grocery boycott is just one example. This is not a surprise in the least.

You should get out of Lily white Wisconisn every so often. Just sayn'; 11/6/12, 11:54 AM
ricpic said...: None of this would've happened if she'd washed her own underwear.; 11/6/12, 11:55 AM
Indigo Red said...: Tried suicide once. Put my head in the oven. It was electric.; 11/6/12, 11:58 AM
Tank said...: Seems like a good result.; 11/6/12, 11:59 AM
LordSomber said...: Story aside, the editing of the piece is atrocious.; 11/6/12, 12:03 PM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Confucius say, lady who hang self, to save face, end up with ugly face, anyway.; 11/6/12, 12:09 PM
Anonymous said...: Well, she wasn't one of those people who are supposedly glad their suicide attempt fails. She tried three different methods, gas, wrist-slitting and hanging, succeeding on her last attempt.

There was an interesting article I read a while back about a visiting scholar from India who was amazed that an American college Dean carried his own bags. In India, apparently, it was beneath a Dean's dignity to do such a thing.; 11/6/12, 12:20 PM
TML said...: "hanged"; 11/6/12, 12:27 PM
Wince said...: Students had previously testified that Chang forced them to wash her underwear by hand.

"Ancient Chinese secret, huh?"; 11/6/12, 12:33 PM
Baron Zemo said...: This is what happens in Chinese suicide attempts.

A half an hour later you try to kill yourself again.; 11/6/12, 12:54 PM
Tibore said...: @Indigo Red

It was electric? Does that mean you liked it??

(*Ducks*); 11/6/12, 12:58 PM
traditionalguy said...: That dang 13th Amendment was never translated into Chinese.

Her Asian studies included wanting to live like Chinese slave owners do.

What a big change China will experience if the 13, 14, and 15 Amendments get enacted there. No wonder they fear the internet being used by Con law Professors.; 11/6/12, 1:01 PM
Known Unknown said...: It was electric?

IR forgot "Boogie woogie woogie"; 11/6/12, 1:07 PM
Rusty said...: So in other words, Karma.; 11/6/12, 1:12 PM
edutcher said...: Was she the Tiger Mom?

PS It is hanged, not hung.

Women aren't hung.

Neither are most men.

Unless most of their work is on DVD under the name Rod Steele or Miles Long.; 11/6/12, 1:20 PM
Smilin' Jack said...: “That could be why wanted to testify -- sayonara,” Johnson said, outside the presence of jurors. “She wanted to get it off her chest.”

Racism fail. Chang is not Japanese.

Oh, my! And from a federal judge. Sterling Johnson Jr

Well, Ann's the expert on subliminal racism around here, but I can't help thinking it would have been more racist if she had been Japanese.; 11/6/12, 1:24 PM
Methadras said...: Calgon, take me away!!!

Okay, Sayonara... WOOOSH!!!; 11/6/12, 1:26 PM
Known Unknown said...: “She wanted to get it off her chest.”

Also, sexist.; 11/6/12, 2:45 PM
Anonymous said...: I have to give her credit for determination. She had to try three times and kept going right through.; 11/6/12, 3:09 PM
Triangle Man said...: Finally, someone in academia with the sense of honor and personal accountability that we here in the Althouse comments expect.; 11/6/12, 4:05 PM
SteveR said...: She pled innocent and hung herself but that didn't work.

Is "slit" still allowed or is it "slashed".; 11/6/12, 4:21 PM
Michael K said...: There was a somewhat similar story in California a few years ago. The Chancellor of UC Santa Cruz, a well know hippie campus, killed herself by jumping 42 stories (no second and third try necessary). She was under fire for extravagant costs in remodeling the residence on campus and for arranging another position for her lesbian lover.

Kalonji, who was hired as director of international strategy development in the UC Office of the President in Oakland as part of Denton's recruitment package, was returning this evening from Washington, D.C., where she had been on university business, UC spokesman Michael Reese said. Denton had been provided a 2,680-square-foot home on the UC Santa Cruz campus, the subject of a story in a Chronicle series this spring examining perks and pay in the UC system.

Before she moved into her university-provided house on campus in 2005, she asked for dozens of improvements -- everything from a new fence for her dogs to new wiring, speakers, amplifier and CD player for a built-in sound system, according to university documents. In all, a $600,000 upgrade was made to the home, though it is not clear how many of the improvements were at Denton's request. Denton's annual salary was $282,000.

As a result of that and other spending disclosed in the media, Dynes tightened rules for renovation projects at university-owned homes and the offices of top executives.

In 2005, UC unions protested the hiring of Kalonji, a former University of Washington professor of materials science, into a $192,000 UC management position. UC also provided Kalonji, then Denton's partner of seven years, a housing assistance allowance of up to $50,000.

UC has been raising tuition to try to keep up with expenses.; 11/6/12, 4:23 PM
Kirk Parker said...: LordSomber,

"Story aside, the editing of the piece is atrocious."

Yeah, well, that's what you get after it goes through layer and layer of fact-checkers and editors.; 11/6/12, 5:54 PM
madAsHell said...: The Peter Principle.; 11/6/12, 10:26 PM
Christoph Dollis said...: Makes sense to me.; 11/7/12, 3:40 AM
Christoph Dollis said...: What's sad is she had to slash her wrists, then try to gas herself, then finally hang herself.

So much pain and horror.

She should have been allowed to give up her life openly and voluntarily, if she so chose, and die humanly, surrounded by such loved once as she had and who agreed to be with her.

Such as with a barbiturate overdose.

We do it for our pets We should allow people the same option.; 11/7/12, 3:57 AM