On April 11, the Indian Leader published an article on the Haskell Alumni Association’s decision to select Russell Bradley as their “Outstanding Alumnus 2019” and his invitation to the Spring 2019 Commencement Ceremony.
The Leader reported that Bradley, according to an article by MSC News, was dismissed from his position on the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas’ Tribal Council for “a breach of fiduciary duty as the Tribe’s Chief Financial Officer in failing to preserve and report the financials of the Tribe when requested by the Tribal Council and sexual harassment.” Bradley was reelected to the Kickapoo Tribal Council as treasurer in early April.
Bradley is not the only guest invited to the Spring commencement. The Haskell President’s Office has confirmed that Tara Sweeney (Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs) the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is planning to attend.
Bradley’s selection has caused some amount of controversy within the Haskell community. When asked for comment, Haskell Student Senate President Lindsey Robinson said:
“I think it’s inappropriate and sets a bad example for the university. We set our standards high for our students and we look to leaders and hold them accountable for their roles. While it’s a difficult pill to swallow, I hope our alumni association understands this could have a bad repercussion on how and who represents our university because every action has an opposite and equal reaction.”
On April 11, the Leader requested that the Alumni Association comment on their decision. As of April 26, they have not responded.
On April 12, the Leader requested comment from the Haskell President’s Office. The President’s Office initially declined to comment on the news, however, on April 15 an administration representative requested a list of questions that would be forwarded to the Haskell President pending Bureau approval.
On April 15, the administration was sent three questions:
“Does the administration support the Haskell Alumni Association’s decision to select Mr. Bradley as their 2019 Outstanding Alumnus?”
“Will the Administration allow Mr. Bradley to participate in (or be recognized in) the May 10th Haskell Commencement Ceremony or any other officially-sanctioned school events in his capacity as 2019 Out- standing Alumnus?”
“Given the broader awareness around issues of sexual harassment and assault, the statistics on vio- lence against Native women, and the instances of sexual harassment endemic in the Bureau of Indian
Affairs. What is the Haskell Admin- istration doing to take allegations like these seriously and create a safe environment for students, faculty, and staff at Haskell?”
On April 13, the Leader sent a request for comment to the subject of the story, Russell Bradley. Bradley responded to the Indian Leader’s request and called the allegations against him “unfounded” and suggested they were politically motivated. Bradley wrote, “I do not support or condone sexual harassment within or outside the work- place.” Bradley also noted that he is currently arguing his case in tribal court.
As of May 3, the Leader has confirmed with the Administration that they and the Alumni Association have mutually agreed that the Alumni Association will not be represented at Commencement this semester.
