Evan Persaud: I used profanity, sexual innuendo

– to prepare students for real world

University of Guyana (UG) lecturer Evan Radhay Persaud has admitted using profanity and sexual innuendo in the classroom saying that his general manner of speaking is accepted in the “real world”, but he has denied ever discussing sex as a topic with his students.

“This is how people will talk to them out there… this is the nature of this business,” Persaud said yesterday in an exclusive interview with Stabroek News at the UG Turkeyen campus. He explained his presence at the institution saying he received a letter from the university asking him to report yesterday.

Persaud, who was recently reinstated by the UG Council, is expected to meet the administration next Wednesday where his duties would be outlined. According to him, everything would be made clear at that meeting. Prior to his suspension from the university, he had served as a lecturer in the Faculty of Technology.

Evan Radhay Persaud

Persaud was seated among a group of students chatting when Stabroek News approached him, and he got up and readily agreed to be interviewed. He said that his life has played out in the news “these past few months”, and he was kept in the dark during the investigation which was conducted.

From the beginning of the initial UG-led investigation against him, Persaud said, he had requested four things: Statute 25 of the university rules; the code of conduct; the allegations made by the students and the initial report of the investigative committee.

With respect to his requests, he said the university gave him Statute 25, but he only saw the code of conduct many months after. Additionally, he said the allegations made by the students were never shown to him nor did he see the report of the investigative committee. Further, he said, he is yet to see the report of the special committee which cleared him earlier this year.

Persaud said also that prior to the recent letter UG had last communicated with him on February 10 this year when he was served with a notice for a hearing. “Between then and now I have been reading about myself in the paper all these months,” he said, laughing.

He described the allegations against him as strange, saying that he was known for talking a certain way in the classroom, and “no one has ever had a problem”.  He categorically denied ever discussing sex with his students, and stressed that he was never accused of this. “There were no charges about any sex talk, nothing like that was read to me,” he said.

Persaud said three charges were read to him initially; using profanity in the classroom, intimidating and victimizing a student; and holding an off-campus examination at a city hotel. He pointed out that the charge said “victimizing a student and not two, three, four students”.

Speaking on the use of profanity in his lessons, Persaud said that he “would cuss but not the students”. He explained:  “I would say stuff like bring the f**king map and or pass the f**king brush or something like that… I am not cussing the students it is just how I speak generally and this is what they will encounter out there.”

Asked whether the use of profanity is appropriate conduct for university lecturers, he said, “Well it is industrial language… it was like fun too.” He maintained that he never “cussed my students”, adding that his language is related to the subject.

He said that his technology courses, particularly geology, are laced with sexual innuendo and he would have fun teaching certain lessons, but “I never raised sex as a topic”. He gave an example saying that he had fun teaching things like, the “magma entered the earth’s crust”.

Persaud insisted that he did not single out any student for punishment, adding that he has no idea where “Mahipaul get the idea that I want to shoot him”. His reference was in relation to UG student, Ganesh Mahipaul, who has accused Persaud of victimizing him.

Persaud dismissed as “nonsense” the allegation that he held an off-campus examination at a city hotel. He said that the records at the university would reflect his examinations were all held on campus. He said his examinations were also held in the presence of others.

“This has been a learning experience. This is how I would put it down. I teach an industrial subject and when students go out there they have to become accustom to industrial language. People are out there cussing each other left and right,” he added.

Persaud, who has been nicknamed ‘Sex Man’ by students, had a range of complaints including claims of victimization and inappropriate behaviour lodged against him by students.  He was cleared of the allegations after a special committee set up to investigate the claims found a lack of evidence.

Recently, the UG Council ruled that Persaud be reinstated as a lecturer with a stern warning. This was in keeping with a recommendation from the special committee.

Prior to its ruling the UG Council had sought advice from law firm, Cameron and Shepherd, and the firm had found that the report of the special committee was flawed, and that it would not be legally sustainable since Persaud was not given a fair hearing.

In a letter to Registrar Vincent Alexander, dated October 15, 2010, Cameron and Shepherd said the special committee failed to fulfil its mandate in accordance with university laws. “…We believe that the conclusion of the hearing of the special committee was flawed and that it was not reflective of a fair and just process”.

Meanwhile, Mahipaul said that he will accept the decision of the UG Council and “move on”. He said the administration failed by not providing Persaud with the information he requested.  “I hope that Evan Persaud changes his ways and treats students better,” he added.

WikiLeaks… US cable assessed Granger, McLean

A June 27, 1974 US diplomatic cable on the Guyana National Service (GNS) gave an assessment of now President David Granger and the man who became the first head of the organisation, Norman McLean.

The cable from the US Embassy here to the State Department and other American missions said that McLean was a career policeman who had experienced “ups and downs” while serving with the force. At the time of his appointment McLean was Assistant Commissioner of Police and he would later go on to become Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force after the national service stint.

The cable said that McLean was generally considered to be a competent policeman and good administrator.

“While McLean is loyal to Prime Minister Forbes Burnham and (the) ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), his appointment and apparent removal of (Elvin) McDavid and Granger may represent (a) degree of de-politicization of national service”, the cable said. It noted that McDavid and then GDF Major Granger had played leading roles in organizing the beginning of the National Service. The cable added that McDavid was reportedly to remain at the National Service Secretariat for several weeks to ensure a smooth transition while Granger was to return to his post at the GDF.

The cable also said that McDavid and Granger “have reputations as ideologues and anti-East Indian racists. McLean, also Afro-Guyanese, is less well known, less identified with PNC, and less controversial. He seems favourably disposed towards (the) U.S.”

The cable also noted that the appointments of McLean and Assistant Director Major Desmond Roberts came at a time when final preparations were being made for the initial intake of volunteers at the GNS.

US diplomatic cable of June 27, 1974, while a GDF Major, as an “anti-East Indian racist

”1. ACCORDING TO PRESS RELEASE FROM OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER, NORMAN MCLEAN, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, WILL BE FIRST DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NATIONAL SERVICE. GUYANA DEFENCE FORCE (GDF) MAJOR DESMOND ROBERTS ALSO HAS BEEN NAMED AS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. MCLEAN AND ROBERTS APPOINTMENTS COME AT TIME WHEN FINAL PREPARA- TIONS ARE BEING MADE FOR INTIAL INTAKE OF VOLUNTEERS FOR NATIONAL SERVICE (REFTEL). PRIOR TO THESE APPOINTMENTS, ELVIN MCDAVID AND GDF MAJOR DAVID GRANGER HAD PLAYED LEADING ROLES IN ORGANIZING BEGINNING OF NATIONAL SERVICE. MCDAVID REPORTEDLY WILL REMAIN AT NATIONAL SERVICE SECRETARIAT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS TO ENSURE SMOOTH TRANSITION AND GRANGER WILL RETURN TO POST WITH GDF. 2. COMMENT: MCLEAN IS CAREER POLICEMAN WHO HAS EXPERINCED UPS AND DOWNS WHILE SERVING WITH POLICE. HE HAS MANAGED TO RISE TO POSITION OF ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER DESPITE ALLEGED PARTICIPATION IN BEATING OF PRISONER, AUTO ACCIDENT, AND REPUTED INVOLVEMENT IN AUTO PARTS RACKET. HE IS NEVERTHELESS GENERALLY CONSIDERED TO BE COMPETENT POLICEMQN AND GOOD ADMINISTRATOR. WHILE MCLEAN IS CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 GEORGE 01076 272005Z LOYAL TO PRIME MINISTER FORBES BURNHAM AND RULING PEOPLE'S NATIONAL CONGRESS (PNC), HIS APPOINTMENT AND APPARENT REMOVAL OF MCDAVID AND GRANGER MAY REPRESENT DEGREE OF DE-POLITICIZATION OF NATIONAL SERVICE. MCDAVID AND GRANGER HAVE REPUTATIONS AS IDEOLOGUES AND ANTI-EAST INDIAN RACISTS. MCLEAN, ALSO AFRO- GUYANESE, IS LESS WELL KNOWN, LESS IDENTIFIED WITH PNC, AND LESS CONTROVERSIAL. HE SEEMS FAVORABLY DISPOSED TOWARD U.S. MATTHEWS CONFIDENTIAL

u couldnt find a larger print?

randolph posted:

WikiLeaks… US cable assessed Granger, McLean

By

STAFF WRITER

November 15, 2015

 

 

The cable also said that McDavid and Granger “have reputations as ideologues and anti-East Indian racists. McLean, also Afro-Guyanese, is less well known, less identified with PNC, and less controversial. He seems favourably disposed towards (the) U.S.”

 

God help the Indians of Guyana.  God will have to forgive those who buried them.   Granger was likely more active in Burnham's atrocities against than he is owning up to!

Granger is now showing his true colours.

ba$eman posted:

.Burnham's atrocities against than he is owning up to!

How come you spend so much time howling about a man who died 31 years ago, he is not any more relevant to most Guyanese than is Peter D'Aguiar.   But when Jagdeo, who was the de facto head of the PPP which ked Guyana a mere 15 months ago, you wail to stop digging up the past.

Granger in 2016 has NOT shown any evidence that he is a racist.  He has asked Jagdeo to offer proof. Jagdeo is no more able to offer proof, than he was of defending himself against charges that it is he Bharat Jagdeo who is the racist.

caribny posted:

ba$eman posted:

.Burnham's atrocities against than he is owning up to!

How come you spend so much time howling about a man who died 31 years ago, he is not any more relevant to most Guyanese than is Peter D'Aguiar.   But when Jagdeo, who was the de facto head of the PPP which ked Guyana a mere 15 months ago, you wail to stop digging up the past.

Granger in 2016 has NOT shown any evidence that he is a racist.  He has asked Jagdeo to offer proof. Jagdeo is no more able to offer proof, than he was of defending himself against charges that it is he Bharat Jagdeo who is the racist.

How come you spend so much time howling about a man who is no longer President when you should be screaming and wailing about your PNC boys who are raping the country in broad daylight?

it is offiaial granger is a bloody racist but we all knew that!

caribny posted:

ba$eman posted:

.Burnham's atrocities against than he is owning up to!

How come you spend so much time howling about a man who died 31 years ago, he is not any more relevant to most Guyanese than is Peter D'Aguiar.   But when Jagdeo, who was the de facto head of the PPP which ked Guyana a mere 15 months ago, you wail to stop digging up the past.

Granger in 2016 has NOT shown any evidence that he is a racist.  He has asked Jagdeo to offer proof. Jagdeo is no more able to offer proof, than he was of defending himself against charges that it is he Bharat Jagdeo who is the racist.

Dead men are kept alive by those who revered them. Only when dem die, hopefully, the unrighteous spirit is rested.

I think Granger is a racist. I see nothing wrong with that, he was indoctrinated at a very young age. Caribj, u should know that.

I must say, he fooled a lot of Indians. Then again, which Blackman is not a cooolie hater, especially those born from 1945. Burnham justified their prejudices. Personifications of Lucifer.

Bibi Haniffa posted:

 

How come you spend so much time howling about a man who is no longer President when you should be screaming and wailing about your PNC boys who are raping the country in broad daylight?

Jagdeo is CURRENTLY leader of the PPP which was in power 15 months ago.

Burnham died 31 years ago.

Can you see how ridiculous screaming about Burnham, and yet insisting that we shouldn't discuss Jagdeo?  No you cannot because you are a hysterical and irrational person without a brain cell in your head.

randolph posted:

WikiLeaks… US cable assessed Granger, McLean

By

STAFF WRITER

November 15, 2015

 

 

The cable also said that McDavid and Granger “have reputations as ideologues and anti-East Indian racists. McLean, also Afro-Guyanese, is less well known, less identified with PNC, and less controversial. He seems favourably disposed towards (the) U.S.”

 

And Roger Luncheon proved that Jagdeo was a racist by claiming that he couldn't explain why 95% of the people appointed to head government corporation were Indians. 37 Indian heads, and 2 black ones.

Compare PROOF with some unknown analysts opinion.

seignet posted:

Personifications of Lucifer.

 

This from a man who called blacks lazy/violent and who screamed that they should be cursed to be poor and naked.

seignet posted:

caribny posted:

ba$eman posted:

.Burnham's atrocities against than he is owning up to!

How come you spend so much time howling about a man who died 31 years ago, he is not any more relevant to most Guyanese than is Peter D'Aguiar.   But when Jagdeo, who was the de facto head of the PPP which ked Guyana a mere 15 months ago, you wail to stop digging up the past.

Granger in 2016 has NOT shown any evidence that he is a racist.  He has asked Jagdeo to offer proof. Jagdeo is no more able to offer proof, than he was of defending himself against charges that it is he Bharat Jagdeo who is the racist.

Dead men are kept alive by those who revered them. Only when dem die, hopefully, the unrighteous spirit is rested.

I think Granger is a racist. I see nothing wrong with that, he was indoctrinated at a very young age. Caribj, u should know that.

I must say, he fooled a lot of Indians. Then again, which Blackman is not a cooolie hater, especially those born from 1945. Burnham justified their prejudices. Personifications of Lucifer.

 

Ever been prescribed Prozac?