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TUESDAY • DECEMBER 15 • 2015
Follow KU volleyball in the Final Four By Sara Shepherd Twitter: @saramarieshep
I
n this town, everyone knows what to do when the Kansas University men’s basketball team makes the Final Four, a regular occurrence. This week another team of Jayhawks joins that elite club: The KU women’s volleyball team will play in its first-ever Final Four Thursday night in
Omaha, Neb., after upsetting No. 1 seed USC in a late-night thriller Saturday in San Diego. Since the volleyball team’s feat is unprecedented, we thought you could use some tips on how to follow the team for the big match: Please see VOLLEYBALL, page 2A l Nebraska fans snatch up
Final Four tickets. Page 1D
Megan Wood/Special to the Journal-World
LIGHTS FANTASTIC
SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH
School board picks firm
By Rochelle Valverde
Twitter: @RochelleVerde
The Lawrence school board has decided on an outside firm to use in its search for a new superintendent, with many of the board members citing the firm’s process for involving the community as a main factor in their choice. “We’ll be hearing from parents and community members and students SCHOOLS and teachers,” said school board President Vanessa Sanburn. “There’s a whole wide array of groups that will help inform us as to what it is we should be looking for.” After a general consensus that the board would hire a firm as opposed to doing the search in-house, board members voted to hire McPherson & Jacobson, of Omaha, Neb., to conduct the search for the next superintendent for an amount not to exceed $25,000. Current Lawrence Superintendent Rick Doll announced Nov. 23 that he will resign effective June 30, 2016. Doll, 61, has accepted a full-time position as associate professor and executive director of the Kansas Educational Leadership Institute at Kansas State University. Please see SEARCH, page 2A
Case of mom who fled U.S. grows more Inquiry ongoing on KU prof who used n-word in class complicated Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo
AS THE SUN SETS, A COMBINATION OF LIGHTS from street lamps, cars and holiday decorations illuminate Massachusetts Street on Friday.
K
Heard on the Hill
ansas University’s investigation of a professor who said the n-word in class remains ongoing — though regardless of outcome the instructor won’t be teaching next semester. Andrea Quenette, assistant professor of communication studies, has been on paid administrative leave since Nov. 20, shortly after KU’s Office of Institutional Opportusshepherd@ljworld.com nity and Access opened its investigation into racial discrimination complaints according to KU spokesagainst her. Quenette’s man Joe Monaco. He said IOA case remains open, KU policy calls for the
Sara Shepherd
university to complete violated. If so, they will discrimination complaint then notify me of the cominvestigations within 60 plaints within seven days days. and then I will be interQuenette said viewed,” Quenette she is now working said. with an attorney. Quenette, now She said an IOA inin her third year vestigator told her as a tenure-track that a total of six assistant professor, complaints were will not have any filed and that the classes this spring office aimed to inbecause she was terview all students Quenette previously schedbefore the end of uled for a researchthe semester. intensive semester with “After interviewing all no teaching obligations, of the students they then Monaco said. make a determination as to Please see PROF, page 2A whether any policies were
By Karen Dillon Twitter: @karensdillon
Kansas City, Kan. — A federal magistrate judge ordered Samantha Elmer, who recently fled to Europe with her two young daughters, released from federal custody Monday during a detention hearing in Kansas City, Kan. New evidence presented at the hearing appeared to help persuade Magistrate Judge David Waxse to release Elmer on her own recognizance, including her explanation that she fled the country with her daughters because their Elmer father had been abusive — a claim he denies. Please see CASE, page 2A
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Former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius decried “terror” at abortion clinics in her speech at a Planned Parenthood conference Monday in Kansas City . 3A
Vol.157/No.349 26 pages