THE University of the West Indies (UWI) Vice-Chancellor Nigel Harris yesterday testified that his termination of Professor Brendan Bain as director of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network (CHART) was the first time he had fired anyone and that he never meant to cause the professor any embarrassment.
Harris said he never meant to make Bain’s termination public, but that it was already in the news that he would be firing Bain, even before he completed the letter of termination which he issued Bain on May 20, 2014.
“This is not my way of handling people,” Harris said during the marshalling of his evidence by Queen’s Counsel Hugh Small.
Under cross-examination from Georgia Gibson-Henlin, the attorney representing Bain, Harris admitted that he was pressured into firing Bain by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition — a group which, among others, represents the lesbian and gay communities.
The UWI fired the noted health professional last May after alleging that his constituents had lost confidence in him following his participation in a case in Belize where a gay man, Caleb Orozco, was challenging the buggery laws of that country.
Bain is suing the UWI for breach of contract, breach of constitutional rights, and defamation over the university’s decision to terminate his contract and the manner in which it had been handled.
Yesterday, in responding to a question from Justice Lennox Campbell, who heads a panel of three judges hearing the case in the Supreme Court, Harris said he had done acted on Bain’s behalf to have the gay communities, donors to the university and health professionals understand and Bain’s expert report in the case in Belize and his life work to help eradicate stigma.
He said he acted as mediator between Bain and the disgruntled groups, but that he was still being pressured.
“All this was coming my way,” Harris testified.
He said that funding to the university was critical to the “outreach and research” work the university does and that it could not rely on the Government solely for funding.
Harris’ examination continues today.
So gay lobbyists did a pressure UWI. We are living in sick times
Bwoi is a tough one. Cauz he did good work for all infected people gay and straight. That Is something dem don’t emphasize, that he wasn’t partial to anybody, his work was to the benefit of all infected. So him coordinate major programs across the Caribbean for infected people and dem get nuff money to carry out that work efficiently. But dem nuh wha hear the truth bout msm and the astronomical transmission rates among them, c him did too honest bout that. Public rass knowledge since every other study say the same thing. The conflict is in sharing that opinion I guess make battyman not feel comfortable to come forward and seek treatment cauz dem nuh wha disclose dem sexual practices and I guess dem a say that position us discriminatory, and the dem fraud fi lose the money dem get rid of the man whe a help all infected. So do we keep the man and can’t afford the program, or get rid of him and still help who dem can help? The big picture is that him font discriminate when him a treat and that’s what’s sad cauz drm lose a major player in the fight against the spread of HIV aids. Reall battyman agenda clouding the vision
The same funding they were afraid of losing might be the same money you will be paying out to Bain. Im still trying to figure out how ppl lose confidence in facts.
It’s the gay agenda if it don’t match there reasoning it’s wrong but GOD A GOD so let them stay their for me they can live their lives but force it on others
*their*
Mi nah blame the chancellor, but it soun like u need fi get ur walking papers too. If u can’t stand up to one group that supports u then I have no confidence in u either.
Him fi get blame to him too dam licky licky and wicked, a sell him sell him soul. A dis unu dis di man..money is the root of all evil