Updated 02/20/2010 08:04 AM
Sally Dear's first television interview since BU basketball report
Sally Dear helped blow the whistle on Binghamton University basketball leading to a scathing report that opened the door to a world of bad acts by the team, coaches and administrators. But she says what's in those 102 pages isn't the whole story. Our Neil St. Clair sat down with Professor Dear in her first televised interview since the report's release.
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VESTAL, N.Y. -- Sally Dear last spoke with us in September, telling us about her troubles as an adjunct at Binghamton University. This included pressure from administration officials to give basketball players an easy pass.
Professor Dear met with us again Friday, a much different woman, vindicated to some degree by this report on BU athletics that dedicated an entire chapter to her saga.
"I was doubted. I was told I was lying. I was told I basically had no idea what I was talking about. When I read the report, I felt justice had been done," said Dear, who will leave her position at BU after this semester runs out.
We took Dear back to where it all happened, on the BU campus. She said she remains concerned that the report portrays her more as a disgruntled employee than conscience hardy whistle blower, but she's also confident that if it wasn't for her, the status quo would have remained.
"Had I not been willing to tell the truth, I don't think any of this would have come out, certainly not now," Dear said.
Dear was originally fired after she talked publicly about her story. She was later brought back and since the report came out, things on campus have been better and worse.
"I called the police. Someone made a very threatening gesture to me and I was extremely uncomfortable," Dear said.
And Dear remains convinced when it comes to the reasons for what happened and who's to blame.
"To win. To win. It permeated all levels of the administration all the way up to the top," Dear said.
We reached out to BU, but a spokesperson said they had no comment.
Dear's comment? One woman standing alone can make a difference. And she'd do it again.
"Absolutely," said Dear. "Because it's the right thing to do. The truth is never wrong'"
Dear was recently informed she will receive the Robert Maynard Hutchins award from the Drake Group for her support of ethics in academics and athletics.