DU’s Department of Human Resources has yet to release its decision regarding Arthur Gilbert’s suspension, following allegations of impropriety in a graduate level class.

The controversy developed when two students complained about the content of one of Gilbert’s lectures in the course, The Domestic and International Consequences of the Drug War. Following complaints, Gilbert was placed on administrative leave, his case was filed with DU Human Resources and Christopher Hill, dean of the Korbel School of International Studies, began teaching the course instead.

Gilbert has issued a statement to students, after being advised by his lawyer: “According to my legal person, I can tell you that I was put on administrative leave with pay because of two anonymous letters from graduate students in my drug war class,” said Gilbert. “The students in the class know about this.”

One student in the drug wars class stated that these two anonymous students to whom Gilbert is referring are female.

“They [the women] were unhappy with the course because Art hadn’t gotten to the ‘drug wars’ part yet even though he was following the syllabus. They also were unhappy that he was discussing masturbation and sex toys, which also happened to be on the syllabus that was readily available before the quarter started,” said the student.

“What upsets me even more about these two girls is that they participated in the group of ‘random’ students who met with the associate dean [David Levine] to discuss the class – prior to removing Gilbert – and agreed that everything was fine and that they enjoyed the class only to stay after the meeting once everyone had left to tell the associate dean that they were unhappy with Gilbert and that his lectures were inappropriate.”

The two students who allegedly submitted letters were contacted by the Clarion but unavailable for comment.

Further, the graduate student quoted in the original story, Mitch Chrismer, was contacted by the Korbel Student Affairs office for what he originally said in the Clarion story. He was scheduled to meet with the dean of the school, Christopher Hill, on April 29.

“I took some heat from Korbel’s Student Affairs office; they think that I was blaming them for students having problems getting into classes – which is absolutely not the case,” said Chrismer. “The problem has nothing to do with how hard they work; rather, it has everything to do with Korbel admitting more students than ever before and not compensating for that by hiring more professors or adding additional segments of popular classes. That explanation didn’t satisfy them however, and they’re still pretty upset at me for saying what I said.”