Interim Vice President Seeking Permanent Position in the Shadow of Controversy and Allegations of Past Abuse
“You friggin’ disgust me. You make me sick! But guess what girls — it’s payday!”
Dr. Jeff Graham, FSU’s Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and a finalist for the permanent position, had been the Assistant Superintendent to the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice for 11 years when The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun broke the story that children in the care of his agency were systematically abused.
The resulting state investigation, covered extensively by both news outlets, led to Graham’s forced resignation at the request of then Governor Parris N. Glendening. Dec. 15 will be the 20th anniversary of Graham’s ouster.
Alongside Maryland’s Secretary of Juvenile Justice, a department assistant secretary, and the superintendent of facilities, Graham was accused of creating a violent culture at three Western Maryland camps for teenage offenders.
TBL asked Graham for a comment regarding this investigation and a later investigation that resulted in the surrender of his social work license. Graham responded, “I have no comment. My superiors and I spoke of this and Human Resources is aware.” When asked if one of those superiors included Dr. Thomas Bowling, Vice President of Student Affairs, Emeritus, Graham responded, “Yes.” TBL reached out to Bowling who responded, “I was aware of it [the investigations] and looked into it and had no concerns.” Edit: Bowling reached out to TBL after his initial comments to clarify his statement. He says, “I was not concerned about Jeff’s abilities and I have a great amount of respect for the person and professional Jeff is today.”
President Ronald H. Nowacyzk was asked for a comment on the above investigations and said, “I was aware of this when I got here [to Frostburg], but it’s a private personnel issue.” Nowaczyk came to FSU in February 2016.
TBL asked Nowacyzk if the information related to Graham’s previous employment had been passed along to the search committee responsible for identifying a permanent candidate for the Vice President of Student Affairs position. He said, “I don’t know.” President Nowaczyk promoted Dr. Graham from Associate Vice President of Student Affairs to Interim Vice President on May 30, 2019.
TBL asked Leon Wyden, Jr., Vice President of Administration and Finance and Chair of the Search Committee, if the group was furnished the above public documents and information regarding Dr. Graham’s previous employment. Wyden responded, “That is a private personnel issue that I cannot comment on.”
Finally, TBL asked SGA President Jenna Puffinburger if student representatives on the committee had been given this information. She replied, “The search committee was not made aware of this information.” Three staff members who sit on the search committee, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed that they were not made aware of the investigations into Graham.
“They Don’t Mouth Off Here.”
The Savage Mountain Youth Center, which was closed in December 1999, was located in Lonaconing, Maryland, 11.7 miles from the Hitchins Administration Building on FSU’s campus. Its rehabilitation program, called the Savage Leadership Challenge, was described by Todd Richissin of The Baltimore Sun as “perhaps the nation’s most violent” boot camp, where juvenile boys went to get their teeth shattered, or their arm broken, or their body slammed to the ground.
It was there that Richissin witnessed Dr. Graham, in his early 30s and in charge of the camp, approach a line of kids. Looking over the new arrivals, Richissin reported that Graham yelled at them, “You friggin’ disgust me. You make me sick! But guess what girls — it’s payday!” As Graham’s guards, called tactical officers, rushed the kids, they slammed them, poked them, screamed in their faces, and whipped cups of ice water at the boys, says The Sun.
One round wasn’t enough, according to Richissin. The guards went for another and that time, as Graham watched, a kid ended up with a bloody nose, a second with a split lip, and a third was “bleeding from the webbing between his fingers.”
Graham, who ran Savage and two similar camps at Backbone Mountain and Meadow Mountain, “made no apologies for putting hands on kids” and believed that the physical part of the “Savage experience” was crucial. In 1999, he told The Sun, “The name of our game is confrontation, intimidation, rehabilitation. There’s no room for someone punching a kid. If we find out about that, there’s discipline handed out. That kind of behavior is what kills boot camps. We need to totally break them down. It’s the only way to get their attention. You go to the other camps and you’ll see the kids mouthing off; there’s no respect whatsoever. They don’t mouth off here.” Moreover, Graham’s tactical officers reminded those in their care that they would be reading their letters home and that “there had better be no mention of their being touched — or they’ll get even more of it, “ reported Richissin.
The initial allegations of abuse at Savage were made in August 1999, three months before Graham’s ouster. These allegations, substantiated by videotapes shot on the first day delinquents arrived at the Garrett County camps, prompted a warning from the Governor’s Office. Instead of heeding this warning, former State Public Safety Secretary Bishop L. Robinson entered into court record a memo written in October 1999 by Graham, “telling guards that the use of force was up to their discretion.” Then-Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend called the operations of the camp a “complete breakdown in the department’s chain of command” and an “abuse of power, an unconscionable abuse of authority,” reported The Post.
Finally, on December 15, 1999, Graham and others were forced from their positions and the camp was placed in the hands of the Maryland National Guard. In the public court proceedings leading up to the camp’s closure, a judge would hear testimony from five juveniles who described abuse so severe that the judge “would conclude that the boot camps were no place for a kid. He wouldn’t even let the [juveniles] go back to collect their belongings.” When one young man, who was set to graduate from boot camp the very same week, testified that there wasn’t any abuse, Graham was waiting for him outside the courtroom to “congratulate him on his testimony,” reported The Sun.
After the camp’s closure, the FBI opened a civil rights investigation into the Savage Mountain Youth Center. At least 14 guards were investigated by the Maryland State Police in a criminal probe looking for evidence of child abuse. More than two years after the closure of Savage, Maryland officials agreed to pay 890 former delinquents over $4 million in cash, wrote Richissin. Each of these individuals passed through one of the three camps under Graham’s leadership. 10 individuals who endured the worst abuse, including broken bones and teeth, shared $1 million. Another 50 who were beaten received $15,000 each. And all former boot camp juveniles shared in a $2.1 million education fund.
To produce these articles, a reporter and photographer for The Sun spent over a year following 14 of the juvenile delinquents through their entrance to the boot camp and reintegration in their home communities.
“A Preponderance of the Evidence”
After departing his position with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, Dr. Graham went to work for The Mental Health Center in Oakland, Maryland, according to his resume furnished to the campus community this week. His position as Program Director used his Master’s in Social Work and Public Administration, which he received from West Virginia University in 1989.
According to public documents available online through the Maryland Department of Health, Graham surrendered his license as a clinical social worker on July 1, 2005, after an investigation by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners into allegations of fraudulent billing.
In the surrender letter, Graham admits that “although I had submitted bills for services on two separate occasions…for group therapy, I was not present to provide these services.” Graham continues to write that “The Board’s investigation would likely have resulted in charges” and that “the State would be able to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that I violated the Board’s statute and regulations.” With this letter, Graham surrendered his ability to “give social work advice or treatment” or “otherwise engage in the practice of social work.”
The Division of Student Affairs, for which Dr. Graham is the interim Vice President, is comprised of 13 units. These include Substance Abuse Facts and Education, Health Services, and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), which, as TBL reported in May 2019, has been understaffed for over a year. A search committee to fill that position was initiated but produced only four applicants, according to his comments to SGA on November 7. A student representative on the search committee for a new CAPS Director was not appointed as of the October 24 SGA meeting.
Following Dr. Graham’s forfeiture of his social work license, he moved to academia and made the transition to Frostburg in May 2007. Since that time, he has worked for Student Support Services, as the Associate Dean of Students, and as the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. Among the accomplishments reported on his resume, Dr. Graham cites himself as the “primary liaison to coordinate collaboration with Frostburg City government” and that he “represents the University at local Chamber of Commerce events.” As Associate Dean of Students, Graham reported on his resume, he was responsible for “conducting Title IX investigations” and administered the University’s Code of Conduct for on- and off-campus behavior.
The final decision regarding the appointment of the next Vice President of Student Affairs lies solely in the hands of President Nowaczyk; however, staff, faculty, and students will have the opportunity to address Dr. Graham during forums held on Thursday, November 21. Both meetings will occur in the Atkinson Room of the Lane University Center with staff/faculty meeting from 1:15-2:00PM and students meeting from 2:15-3:00PM.
The other finalist for the Vice President of Student Affairs position, Dr. Kahan Sablo was on FSU’s campus on November 12 and 13 for interviews and panels with faculty, staff, and students. Sablo currently holds the position of Assistant Vice President of University Life at George Mason University.
Sources from The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post:
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1999-12-05-9912130962-story.html
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1999-12-11-9912110108-story.html
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1999-12-16-9912160001-story.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1999-12/16/043r-121699-idx.html
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1999-12-14-9912140058-story.html
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2002-03-29-0203290089-story.html
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2000-01-11-0001110076-story.html
https://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-bootcamp-part2-story.html
Dr. Graham’s Letter of Surrender of Social Work Licensure: https://health.maryland.gov/bswe/Documents/Orders/Graham-917.pdf
The Bottom Line | May 2, 2019, “Lives On The Line: Counseling Center Understaffed For Entire Academic Year”: https://thebottomlinenews.com/lives-on-the-line-counseling-center-understaffed-for-entire-academic-year/
See Dr. Graham’s Resume: VPSA candidate Dr. Jeff Graham (1)
Correction: An earlier version of this article inaccurately described Jeff Graham as the Assistant Superintendent of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. In fact, the department was called the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice at the time of Graham’s tenure. The department changed their name in 2003.
Correction: An earlier version of this article inaccurately reported that Graham initiated the search for a new CAPS Director. This search was initiated by the Western Maryland Health System.
The Author
20 Comments
This is quite terrible. I can’t believe this school would hire someone like this — and I hope they rid themselves of this stain post-haste. There is no place for child abusers in a university setting.
Those were different times. I was a troubled kid. I lied, cheated and stole. I broke a kids thumb for no reason. I was the worst of the worst. The kind you would have disowned, locked up, kicked out of the house or worse. I did a lot of things I’m not proud of and think about to this very day. All those lives I effected, all those people I’ve hurt. But Mr. Graham turned my life around and made me a better person. Made me open my eyes to what I was doing to people and myself. That place was hell but that’s what people like me got and you come out a better person. If it wasn’t for him I’d be in prison for killing someone or die from a drug overdose. I’ve kept in touch with Mr. Graham and today he is a strong kind caring man. He’s helped me through countless struggles through my life and I can’t thank him enough. So if you are without sin and never hurt anyone in your life than cast your stones. Mr. Graham if you’re reading this thank you for being tough on a bad seed.
Honestly, I’m not surprised. He has illustrated to students aggressive behavior and his approach to controversy has bordered on harassment in some cases within my 2 years of knowing who he is.
It’s wonderful how this day in age one wrong can never be forgiven and even a lifetime of pursuit to make themselves a better person only results in hate of the past. It’s also great that the widely criticized judicial and prison system, criticized for creating a precedent of evil to be seen in all inmates, ends up being our own precedent for those who do wrong once and try to redeem themselves. Mr Graham, you may have done wrong once but don’t let these awful judgemental people define your life for you.
A little concerned about these people who really want someone involved in child abuse to work in a school. I hope you aren’t so forgiving of child abusers in your day-to-day lives as you are on the Internet.
Of course people can be forgiven. But if you’ve hurt children, you shouldn’t be anywhere near a school.
You generous, forgiving souls shouldn’t trust your dogs with Michael Vick, either.
Comparing him to Michael Vick is a bold move. Also why are you up in arms now considering this man has worked there for YEARS when all of this info was public?
Dr. Graham has done so much good work for FSU. His work in prevention has been nationally recognized, he is an exemplary leader, he takes initiative, he is thoughtful and respectful of others and he works harder than anyone else on campus. He is loved and respected by many. I’m disturbed by how easily and happily The Bottom Line has tried to disgrace a good university employee and leader. It’s extremely unnecessary and tacky. I know many, many people who support Dr. Graham, the good work he does, and the wonderful person that he is.
The language used in this article is extremely inflammatory. It is disheartening to see that student reporting has stooped to this level. The “facts” in this article are charged, and the timing of this article shows the motivation of the writer. For those unaware, this article was published the SAME day the opposite candidate for VPSA came to campus and held forums. Guess we know who the writer supports.
To correct the article above: the search committee for the new CAPS director does have a student on the committee, which I observed and was discussed at the October 24 SGA meeting. I learned this information from sitting in on the meeting.
When will people ever be able to live down their pasts? He was investigated for this 20 years ago- and it’s been public knowledge the entire time. This article makes it seem like it is new information that had been discovered after years and years of digging. Search “Jeff Graham Savage Mountain” on Google and one of the first links you see is the FULL Baltimore Sun articles. Note that only half of the articles were referenced, to make a pointed argument against Graham.
People make mistakes. We are choosy in who we forgive and who we never allow to live down their pasts. This is shameful.
Ill-timed, ill-written, and shameful to have been posted, or reported on in the first place.
Jeff Graham is a good, honest man. I often saw him while I was working in Hitchens, at various campus events and other common places around campus. Graham always had a smile on his face, and was very polite. I understand that there are allegations against him resulting from his past, but what we fail to understand is that his past doesn’t define him. A past is something that is over and is done with. Jeff Graham is not his past; he is better than it. He has done great things for the university despite who he once was. Graham has worked diligently along side SGA and attended every meeting and has helped create and administer different policies to benefit the students here at the university.
Although Graham has stepped down, I feel as though he was the best candidate for this position. He was one of the very few higher ups that I liked. I do not understand how his past is such a big issue now considering it was not 12 years ago when he was hired here at the university. 12 years ago the administration had already looked into the allegations and as mentioned in the article there were NO concerns. If there were NO concerns then, there should be NO concerns now.
Personally, I think this article should of never been published because as the president of the university has already said THIS IS A PERSONAL ISSUE. Graham should have been able to address this to the student body as he saw fit. This scuzzy, sleazy article took away this mans right to privacy and his right to handle this the way he wanted to. He has done nothing here at the university to deserve such negativity.
As much as I hate to say it, this university is going downhill fast. There are numerous issues within the student body, faculty is leaving at an alarming rate, and there has been so much unnecessary change that primarily began in February. There needs to be an open forum here at the university so students, faculty/ staff, and other concerned persons are able to express their feelings regarding the university and the acts within.
“Personally, I think this article should of never been published because as the president of the university has already said THIS IS A PERSONAL ISSUE. Graham should have been able to address this to the student body as he saw fit. This scuzzy, sleazy article took away this mans right to privacy and his right to handle this the way he wanted to. He has done nothing here at the university to deserve such negativity”
What are you even talking about? If it’s in a newspaper, if it’s in a court record, it’s a public record. Nobody dug up his skeletons — they’re available for all to see. Why do you think the community shouldn’t be aware the university’s VP was involved in state-sanctioned child abuse? Do you feel comfortable dropping your dog off at Michael Vick’s dog park?
Unless a court record is sealed, it’s a PUBLIC RECORD. The public is allowed to talk about it. Media is allowed to write about it. If there’s nothing wrong here, why do you think it should be hidden?
How is it possible that the authorized and then witnessed assault on children is a “personal issue”? If this behavior had been committed by a parent, any judge in this country would remove custody of that child from the parent and likely sentence that person a lengthy jail term.
Can a case be made that Dr. Graham has admitted his mistakes, changed the way he conducts himself, and now would make an excellent candidate for this position? Quite possibly but to suggest that this is “Yellow journalism” or should have never been brought up because it is a private matter is simply unacceptable.
It isn’t that I think that it should be hidden (so I am sorry if you got that impression), but I just think that it is old news that should not of been brought back up. There is not rhyme or reason for it. He made a mistake, he owned up to it 12 years ago and things were taken care of then. The university already knew about it all those years ago and had no concerns regarding the allegations. Graham is a good man.
The president of the university knew about it when he took the job in 2016, but did not feel as though it was necessary to address because it was Graham’s personal issue… in which I agree. Sure it was/ is public information, but this article does not portray Graham fairly. It paints him as an awful person and does not shed light on any of the great things he has done with or for the university faculty/ staff and students. Him being painted in this manner is the exact reason that he should of been given the opportunity to address the public how he saw fit. He has been nothing but honest about this whole ordeal. This article was created to stir up drama and was unnecessary. If there was going to be any article at all, it should of been fair and looked at Graham from every angle… not just his worst one. Somethings do not need to be brought back to life and should just be left alone. The only way to move past things is to let time run its course, but it is apparent that 12 years was not long enough for that.
It would be different if Graham had wreaked havoc on the university somehow, but he never has. He was worked in various different positions on campus and has always done his best and kept everyone’s best interest in mind. Graham has been working at the university for 12 years… the actions of his past shouldn’t of damaged his chances of becoming the permanent VP of Student Affairs when he has done everything possible to build a better future for himself. He is not defined by his past and should not be looked at as such.
As far as your dog remark goes, I do not have a dog so I’m not even going to go there because I do not know any information regarding such dog park. Cats are superior anyways.
And as far as your remark regarding the communities awareness of such involvement in state-sanctioned child abuse, there were articles written during the time this had all taken place so I’m sure there were opportunities to learn about his past then. As I have said, Graham is not his past; He is better than it.
Dr. Jeff Graham is dedicated to FSU by going above and beyond his job title to make the University a better place FOR STUDENTS. His entire time here, he has proved 10 times over he belongs and cares. Go ahead and judge Dr. Graham if you have all the facts, but if you don’t even know the impact Dr. Graham has on this campus, then shut your mouth
reposted from comments on the follow-up story:
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I am proud of our school newspaper.
Journalism is about transparency. And The Bottom Line’s reporting brought much-needed transparency to our selection process. The campus community must make an **informed** decision about important administrative hirings, and The Bottom Line’s reporting gave us the opportunity to be better-informed.
Make no mistake: All of this information in the public record should be on the table when making a hiring decision of this magnitude. If after considering those compelling facts, FSU wants a Vice President with that record, then so be it, but blaming this newspaper and its reporters is simply misguided and, frankly, fascistic.
To blame The Bottom Line is to blame transparency and information itself. We should all be deeply thankful and grateful to the Bottom Line and its reporters. Their job is difficult, and they have done it well.
Where is the article about the other candidates? Informed is great and all but did they bother to do any research at all about any other candidates?
I am also proud of the fact that our student-led newspaper is focusing on real issues directly affecting us as students. However, I do not think this is transparent. An informed decision is made having known all information. Where is the section following his journey at FSU? Are all of his AMAZING contributions erased by his 20+ year prior history? I’m glad this article is getting us talking but to think this is unbiased is naive.
There are many underling facts here that people are not aware of and questions that need to be answered. First off, when Jeff Graham applied for the position of Dean of Students in 2007, the search for that position was deemed a “failed search” which means none of the candidates interviewed for that position fit the criteria and/or didn’t pass the background check. This was relayed by a female who sat on that search committee. HR was and higher administrators were very much aware of Jeff Graham’s two previous debacles that lead to his dismissals. First, why would FSU, a State of Maryland institution hire someone with this proven background. Secondly, why did he get a promotion and a pay raise to Associate VP right before the retirement, of his then supervisor, Dr. Thomas Bowling? Thirdly, why in the world why Graham be made Interim VP, handling thousands and thousands of dollars in state appropriations after The Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners ask for the surrender of his social worker license for insurance fraud?????? Sounds very convoluted and suspicious. Makes no sense; he obviously is not as noble as some would affirm.
Since the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke at Penn State, most Universities have mandated employees to undergo background checks and child abuse clearances every few years, no one is grand fathered in. How does Jeff pass these tests? Jeff May do good things for the students at FSU, he has also done things that are in poor taste and detrimental to the students and staff. Jeff May have changed; it does not change the fact of what he allowed to happen under his eye to the young men and women that needed rehabilitation, not systematic abuse. Bullying and fear is something FSU does not promote yet the dean of students/acting VP was at one time a promoter of it. So maybe some of us here are not a victim of Jeff’s actions or the actions he sits backs and lets those he supervise acts on, but there are countless number of students past and present that have been a victim of Jeff’s perverse ideas or those under his supervision.
That article would have occurred had he made a statement, given an interview, and talked about his experiences since that time. There might be very good legal reasons to not have done so, but if he had agreed to an interview he could have talked about not just that time, but how it changed him and made recommendations to our students about what not to do with their careers. This could be a teaching moment to our students about owning up to your mistakes, becoming a better person… but also not agreeing to work in places that violate your morals or ethics to begin with. However, that story isn’t possible without hearing from the people originally involved and no one agreed.
It is unbelievable that any person reading this article would accuse the writer of “yellow journalism.” They clearly researched the topic and wrote a compelling account at a crucial time. This is what we want from journalism! The facts! The author did not tell you how to think or attempt to convince you – they simply informed you.