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Jenna Caira will be the first Syracuse softball player to have her jersey retired. She led SU to its first NCAA Tournament win in program history.
‘The Dara Royer show’ Since she joined SU, employees have voiced grievances to the university regarding Royer to little to no response
illustration by lindy truitt asst. illustration editor
Kyle Chouinard
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senior staff writer
fter meeting throughout March and April 2021 to discuss the internal culture of Syracuse University’s marketing department, findings from 21 members were distilled into a 15-page document. Along with allegations of sexism, the document details feelings among employees of being in “survival mode” and being unable to question leadership. Much of the feedback in the report focuses on Dara Royer, the university’s current chief marketing officer, and her role in the department’s dysfunction. Through the 10 pages of the report, which record employee feedback from “Directors and Above,” Royer’s name appears 21 times. “When Dara’s in the room, people shut up,” one person said when asked about the division’s culture. Today, the vast majority of SU’s marketing division works out of the Nancy Cantor Warehouse in downtown Syracuse. Royer’s office sits roughly two miles away on main campus in Crouse-Hinds Hall. “Team is terrified of having to present something to Dara (Royer) because she’s so far removed from day-today work,” one employee noted. “(It is) literally difficult to access Dara (Royer),” one person stated. “When in the ‘office,’ she is physically removed from (the) team, spending most of her time at her office on campus.” Former employees at SU have written memos and voiced concern to SU human resources, ombuds and leadership regarding the university’s marketing and communications divisions — namely Royer’s mismanagement.
Several employees said they were met with silence after bringing up their concerns with Royer and the department to the university. Those employees, both in internal letters and statements to The Daily Orange, said Royer fostered internal divisions, silenced dissent and created a hostile work environment.
If you conduct your due diligence, you may find that … Dara Royer is not the leader she portrays herself as. Lisa Thompson FORMER MARKETING LIASON
Many of the people The D.O. spoke to over the last few months about SU marketing and Royer expressed fear that Royer would retaliate against them if they spoke publicly. In a June 2022 email to Royer obtained by The D.O., former project director for SU Brittany Terwilliger wrote that she was in a “privileged” position to talk without fear after leaving the university. “When I started my new job last winter, you had done such a number on my self confidence that I was truly amazed that people found me impressive,” wrote Terwilliger, who also CC’d the university’s HR department. “I have heard the same from others who have recently left SU marketing.” Terwilliger wrote in the email that Royer had micromanaged and relentlessly criticized her and her coworkers. She said during her time at SU, Royer’s
favoritism came with incentives like increased access to Royer and better chances of her supporting employees’ ideas. Those who disagreed or pushed back were met with ridicule. “On numerous occasions I saw you challenge a person’s ideas/work — even ideas/work that you had previously supported — just because that person had earned your disfavor,” Terwilliger wrote. Another former employee who worked with SU’s web team said that while people were able to question thirdparty organizations SU was working with on marketing campaigns, any time someone did the same regarding leadership within the department, it was dismissed. “It’s always Dara’s inner circle versus everybody else,” they said. Terwilliger said Royer determines her favoritism based on loyalty to her. “The way to remain in your favor is to tell you what you want to hear, praise you, never challenge you, and find other people to blame for your mistakes,” Terwilliger wrote to Royer. A different marketing employee, who left the university in the winter of 2021, also said Royer has a pattern of elevating the people in her department who say ‘yes’ to her. “When you get to these elevated conversations … there is nobody who is going to … basically, respectfully and collaboratively disagree, which would create a healthy workplace,” they said.“There’s none of that.” In her parting email, Terwilliger also wrote that Royer was “very cliquey” with how she shared information. “You have your inner circle of people with whom you share information, while others are kept in the dark like Plebeians until you decide to make a formal announcement,” Terwilliger wrote. see royer page 3