Feb. 20, 2003 — Ohio University police have turned over the results of their investigation into alleged grade changing by an OU administrator to the Athens County prosecuting attorney's office.
Former Assistant Registrar Robert C. Myers, 57, of 9186 St. Route 690, Athens, faces up to five years in prison if convicted of tampering with records, a third-degree felony. Myers allegedly changed seven grades for OU junior Thomas Joseph Pryor, changed his academic standing and requested six transcripts at no cost to Pryor.
Myers was terminated from the university for incompetence, insubordination, neglect of duty and malfeasance, according to the official written notification of his termination, filed Nov. 15 by OU Registar Debra Benton.
Myers is appealing his termination because he says the university did not accommodate his attention deficit disorder, a disability that resulted in his addiction to Ritalin. He claims the disability, combined with withdrawal from the drug, impaired his actions.
Gary North, OU vice president for administration, said Myers was terminated to uphold the integrity of the registrar's office.
"(Benton) did a review of the case and concluded that, because of the importance of the integrity of academic records that we needed to take action. And so she issued a termination," he said. "That was appealed to me. I upheld it. It is now in the process of being appealed to the Administrative Senate, and so his right to due process has not yet been exhausted and that is essentially where the case is at the moment."
Myers met Pryor during the summer of 2002 in Marietta, when Pryor asked Myers how his grade point average would change if he retook classes, according to an Oct. 29 e-mail he sent to Benton.
Laura Arenschield and Robert Chalifoux
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