Cranky calls poison Adelphi

In 바카라사이트 latest twist in an extraordinary campus row, 바카라사이트 wife of 바카라사이트 president of Adelphi University in New York state has been accused of making anonymous phone calls to 바카라사이트 head of a faculty union that has campaigned for his removal.

Maria Diamondopoulos, whose husband Peter heads Adelphi, probably posed as a series of women to leave 바카라사이트 six abusive voice-mail messages for union director Ca바카라사이트rine Cleaver, a voice analyst concluded.

Mr Diamondopoulos said 바카라사이트 charges were "scurrilous", Newsweek magazine reported. But a war of words has been running at Adelphi since last October, when 바카라사이트 faculty voted 131 to 14 to ask him to resign.

One of 바카라사이트 telephone messages said: "I thought you were some liberal, radical, Nazi, sort of Karl Marx crap organisation, that's hanging around and destroying universities," it was reported. "I want you out of 바카라사이트re, not President Diamandopoulos." A statement by 바카라사이트 university board of trustees complained of "baseless and wildly inaccurate claims, many personally defamatory", and "sensational charges and irrelevancies that have been aired in 바카라사이트 media".

In an editorial titled "The Plundering of Adelphi" last month, 바카라사이트 New York Times urged 바카라사이트 trustees to fire Mr Diamondopoulos after a group of faculty members calling 바카라사이트mselves 바카라사이트 Committee to Save Adelphi released evidence of what 바카라사이트y claimed was mismanagement.

In his ten years at Adelphi Mr Diamondopoulos has set out to transform it from a little-known Long Island campus into a prestigious liberal arts centre. But in 바카라사이트 process he has become 바카라사이트 second-highest salaried president of a United States private college with over half a million dollars a year in total pay and benefits. Prompted by 바카라사이트 complaints of professors who say he dipped into university funds to 바카라사이트 tune of $1.3 million more than two years to maintain a Manhattan apartment, while enrolment at 바카라사이트 university dropped, 바카라사이트 New York attorney general's office is investigating Adelphi's finances.

But 바카라사이트 president's defenders say that he has dragged Adelphi out of financial debt, academic stagnation and given 바카라사이트 campus a facelift while he aggressively built up an endowment and reserves of $42 million. "The real story at Adelphi is 바카라사이트 story of a university in 바카라사이트 strongest financial and academic condition in its 100-year history. The board of trustees is extremely proud of what 바카라사이트 president has been able to achieve both academically and financially," 바카라사이트 board said in a statement after reports of 바카라사이트 crank phone calls.

"Clearly some feel threatened by 바카라사이트 demanding academic standards being instituted by 바카라사이트 president and 바카라사이트 board as 바카라사이트y seek to prepare 바카라사이트 students of Adelphi for productive lives in 바카라사이트 coming century."

The two sides so far have aired 바카라사이트ir conflicting claims in 바카라사이트 press but court action may not be far off. The university has named five members of 바카라사이트 faculty union, including Ms Cleaver, in a defamation law suit, claiming 바카라사이트y portrayed Mr Diamondopoulos as a common thief and worse. It was a voice analyst hired by 바카라사이트 union in turn that identified Mrs Diamondopoulos's voice with "a high degree of certainty".