Posted on: Friday, May 9, 2003
ISLAND VOICES
Defense of a good man and father
This commentary was written by Wendy Ann (McCubbin) Frantz, daughter of Hamilton McCubbin. It was also signed by her sister, Laurie Dawn McCubbin, and brother, Todd Jonathan McCubbin.
It is 12:30 in the morning in Hawai'i, and 5:30 in the morning in Minnesota, where I live. With the little sleep I've had and with a lump in my throat too big to swallow, I read the details of the "alleged scandal" in both The Honolulu Advertiser and the Star-Bulletin newspapers surrounding my father, Dr. Hamilton McCubbin. I read these articles through tears in my eyes and sorrow in my heart.
The insensitive nature of these articles takes me back to 1999, as my father, my sister, Laurie, and I traveled in tears and silence to bury my grandmother and my best friend, Betsy McCubbin. En route from the Likelike Drive Inn to my grandmother's burial in Kane'ohe, my father received a call on his cell phone — the University of Wisconsin-Madison provost, John Wiley, informed my father of the same details that are being shared with the Hawai'i community today.
I read in anguish and horror as the details flooded The Advertiser and the Star-Bulletin — swayed by the writings of Dan Nakaso of The Advertiser and Rick Daysog of the Star-Bulletin.
The news and the timing of Wiley's forced presentation felt like a jolt of hostility as it was as insensitively presented then, and again as it was today. The articles damaged the reputation of a good man, my father. I only wished John Wiley and the authors of today's articles spoke about the truth and took the time to inform the Hawaiian community of that truth. Instead, today's articles were expressions about questionable journalism and the destruction of a fine individual.
To present the truth
The McCubbin 'Ohana buried my grandmother on that fateful day, and we began to work together to present the truth, as I do today in writing this commentary, on behalf of my brother, my sister, our extended family and for the Hawaiian community as whole. I've never spoken openly before, but I must do so now.
As a daughter, a friend and a supporter of a great man, I would never forgive myself if I sat idly by as the media crucify my father. I can only hope that you will take the time to understand what really happened. We've always worked together as a family to solve things, and will continue to do so. With that, I am compelled to share the truth, as we know it.
The harmful and hurtful efforts by assistant professor Jikyeon Kang to coerce my father to approve her tenure (lifetime job security at the University of Wisconsin) were rejected as a result of the investigation. The university also decided against giving Ms. Kang any more time at the university to achieve tenure.
Following its official ruling on Ms. Kang's allegations, the university, in a separate action, which did not involve or even include informing my father, entered into a financial agreement with Ms. Kang as an incentive for her to leave the university without any rights to future claims. This is standard practice, which I assume also happens at the Kamehameha Schools.
Upon receiving the official report of the university's findings in its investigation, that there was no wrongdoing and no violation of university policy, my father announced to David Ward, the chancellor, that he would resign from the deanship and return to teaching and research. My father fulfilled his promise to my sister and me that he would never work for John Wiley a minute longer than he had to and never, ever again.
My father returned to being a professor in child and family studies, and Chancellor Ward announced this to the public, accompanied by praise for all of his major accomplishments both as an administrator and as a scholar. We were happy that my father would now return to his first love.
Over the years, my father became a consultant and friend to the sheik of the United Arab Emirates and agreed to help design and begin two new English-speaking universities for women in the United Arab Emirates. The sheik had aspirations to improve upon the capability and leadership potential for women in the Middle East. So my father took time off to serve as a dean of these universities.
While in the Middle East, my father was invited by the trustees of Kamehameha Schools to become its first CEO. My father's life dream to give back to Hawai'i and the Hawaiian people was now a reality.
My father realized that he could not take a leave from the University of Wisconsin to become a CEO, so he chose to retire. Contrary to reports, my father did not leave the university under pressure; his decision to retire was a reflection of his commitment to the Kamehameha Schools to give 100 percent and not look back.
Lies perpetuated
It is with great sadness that I read, once again, the accusations by Ms. Kang and perpetuated by the writings of the reporters from The Advertiser and Star-Bulletin. I know my father and mother will once again feel the anguish and pain generated by this revisiting of the past.
More importantly, they will be pained by the articles' distortion of what really happened, just to keep alive the soap opera of "sex and intrigue" — at my father's expense and only intended to be harmful to the credibility of a good man. I know my father will cry in the quiet of his home, partly because the misrepresentation of information will inevitably affect his reputation, but more importantly, because the articles themselves will once again remind him of the significance of his mother's death.
How my sister, my brother and I wish we could remove the pain that these unfortunate articles have created for both of my parents. We are rendered defenseless, however.
My father spoke the truth then as he does now. If he has a major fault, it is that he is much too open and transparent. This has always been his style — in the workplace, in his administrative management, his research, his writings and even in our family; we all have a right to speak up, and he expected nothing short of the truth.
Board told of allegations
He has spent his lifetime seeking the truth. He talked to us, the McCubbin 'Ohana, about his need to reveal to the trustees of the Kamehameha Schools the allegations against him so that they understood this at the time of his consideration for the CEO position. He had nothing to hide then, as he has nothing to hide now. Please know, he did present these facts at the time of his candidacy for the CEO.
We, his children, are indeed biased in how we see our father. This bias, however, is not void of seeing the truths about this special man in our lives. He is filled with great pride in being a Hawaiian and a Kamehameha graduate, and he has cherished the wonderful opportunity he was given to give back to his alma mater.
Just as important is the pride he possesses in being a living part of the will of Bernice Pauahi Bishop — to give to future generations of Hawaiians. I know he will feel a deep sense of pain that there are people and leaders who will judge him unfairly on falsehoods and lies, but we know him. He will continue to keep his head high, he will continue to smile and he will be gracious and kind, as he always is. And, he will always maintain his commitment to do good for the people and children of Hawai'i.
Those people who cast stones upon his reputation will not find a person weakened by falsehoods and misrepresentations, but instead will discover a person filled with aloha for the Hawaiian people, filled with compassion fostered by his Hawaiian upbringing and culture, and filled with a sense of hope that his small contributions to the children of Hawaiian ancestry will make a difference in their lives.
He remembers well, and will take this belief to his grave: He was and will always be a beneficiary of the will of Bernice Pauahi Bishop and he will be forever pleased he had the opportunity to give back.
You who mock and judge my father will never take away his sense of fulfillment and quiet pride in having given to the people of Hawai'i.
A part of Pauahi's legacy
My mother, Marilyn, also sacrificed her prominent career to give to the Hawaiian people. Their contributions as 'ohana, however small, will forever be a part of the history of Hawai'i and Pauahi's legacy.
Mahalo to the people of Hawai'i, particularly those of you of Hawaiian ancestry, for listening to this daughter and the children of a nice man — our father, our mentor and our hero.
Dad and Mom, we are with you now as we always have been and always will be. When you awaken, you will read two messages.
You will read falsehoods and lies once again.
You will also read this message from us: We know and shared the truth as best we could, and we love you.
