A columnist who writes about Connecticut government and politics argues that Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro should account publicly for allegations about her conduct, after a Hartford television reporter tried to question her in a university parking lot and Toro drove off. The columnist, Chris Powell, writes that WFSB-TV3 reporter Cassidy Williams repeatedly sought to question Toro by telephone about the allegations without getting through, then approached her in person at the New Britain campus.
Columnist faults CCSU president Toro over unanswered questions on her conduct
A columnist who writes about Connecticut government and politics argues that Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro should account publicly for allegations about her conduct, after a Hartford television reporter tried to question her in a university parking lot and Toro drove off. The columnist, Chris Powell, writes that WFSB-TV3 reporter Cassidy Williams repeatedly sought to question Toro by telephone about the allegations without getting through, then approached her in person at the New Britain campus.
Video broadcast on WFSB showed the reporter trying to ask Toro a question as Toro walked past, got into her car and drove off, Powell writes. Powell writes that Toro could have given a polite no-comment without delaying her.
Powell cites the Connecticut Examiner in reporting that Toro's annual salary is $453,533, with stipends of $25,000 for housing and $18,000 for a car, and writes that with retirement benefits her annual compensation exceeds $500,000. Powell also cites the Examiner in reporting that Toro is the only one of four regional state university presidents without a written employment contract, which he describes as an apparent oversight that the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system has not clearly explained.
Powell writes that Toro is registered to vote in Burlington and drives a car registered and plated in Florida, which imposes no property taxes on cars, and that she has not paid property taxes on it in Connecticut. He writes that returning to Connecticut for the summer with Florida plates is legal, but that registering cars in other states to avoid property taxes is a known practice that some towns have cracked down on.
Powell writes that in the previous 14 months, two chancellors of the university system left office over scandal, one financial and one involving sexual harassment, and that the chairman of the system's Board of Regents resigned in May, a month after the second chancellor departed.
Powell writes that the university system says it is investigating Toro, and that she is entitled to due process, including facing her accusers. He writes that the video of her leaving without answering may be all the public needs to know about her, and suggests a reporter ask Governor Ned Lamont for his view.
Powell writes about Connecticut government and politics, according to the column's byline and contact line.
- The source does not state the specific allegations of unprofessional or unhinged behavior made against Toro, or who made them.
- The source does not state whether Toro has responded to the allegations, to the question of the employment contract, or to the property tax question.
- The source does not give a calendar date for the WFSB encounter, the broadcast, or the column's publication, placing the encounter only in the week before the column appeared.
- The source does not state whether Governor Ned Lamont or state legislators have responded to the matter.
- The source does not state the status or timeline of the university system's investigation, or name the two chancellors and the Board of Regents chairman who departed.
- The source does not state the basis for Powell's figure that Toro's total compensation exceeds $500,000, which he presents as his own aggregate.
- The source is an opinion column; the allegations, characterizations and conclusions are the author's and are not presented by the source as established findings.
Read the original at CT Examiner