Dobelle receives notice of termination

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

Nine days after the Board of Regents announced that Evan Dobelle had been fired as president of the University of Hawai'i, he received official notice of his termination yesterday via U.S. Mail — but it fails to mention any cause for the regents' action.

In two curt sentences, the regents notified Dobelle he had been terminated effective July 23.

Dobelle said the letter raises in his mind the question of whether he is still president at this moment.

"So what am I today?" he asked.

The letter arrived on the eve of a scheduled 2 p.m. press conference today in the downtown office of Rick Fried, the attorney retained by Dobelle.

The letter was dated June 16, but postmarked June 22. It was addressed to Dobelle at his College Hill address.

The letter read:

"Dear President Dobelle:

"Subject: Notice of Termination

"This letter constitutes formal notice of termination of your appointment as President and your appointment agreement effective July 23, 2004.

"You will be permitted to remain at College Hill until September 21, 2004.

Sincerely..."

It was signed by the 10 regents in place at the time.

There was no mention of why and no mention of being on 30 days' paid leave. When regents fired him June 15, they said he was on paid leave effective immediately.

The Sept. 21 date mentioned in conjunction with College Hill would give Dobelle three months rather than the original two the regents spoke of at their press conference June 15 in announcing he had been fired for cause.

Yesterday Dobelle also received notice that he had a piece of registered mail that he expected to retrieve this morning, but he said he felt it was the same as this letter. The letter that arrived yesterday was marked "Copy."

Fried is not expected to file a lawsuit today, pending his understanding of what the regents determined as "cause" for Dobelle's dismissal.

Barry Marr, who represents the board regarding any legal action concerning Dobelle, said earlier yesterday that he believed official notice of the dismissal had been sent to Dobelle, but he didn't know when that had occurred or the details of how it had been sent.

Marr said he was hoping to meet with Fried and talk.

"We haven't, so we need to," he said.

He would not comment on what he wanted to discuss.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.