Letters: Trustees have thrown OSU off tracks. Treatment of Kristina Johnson latest example

Petty State University?

Ohio has many assets that can offer a bright future-with the exception of its governance, a small-minded, petty, and provincial body of Republican lawmakers.

Ohio State University is losing a president who was leading us to that bright future.

More:Ohio State President Kristina Johnson had big plans. Now she's stepping down.

Is what happened an example of short-sighted pettiness by some of those surrounding her?

To be clear, we do not know the details, but if so, a great miscarriage of justice has just taken place. Another example of great leadership taken down and OSU and all of us lose big time.

Susan B. West, Athens

Kristina Johnson was daring at OSU

I was saddened to hear Kristina Johnson would leave Ohio State University.

After reading her unbelievably diplomatic interview with the Dec. 4 article “Johnson discusses her exit from OSU," I suspect the OSU Board of Trustees or outside influencers of the Board have a hidden, probably unseemly, agenda in getting rid of her.

Letters: OSU president failed students, employees 'abysmally' in resignation interview

Johnson is a brilliant and successful female executive; she is lesbian; and she dared to protect her students by implementing a mask mandate during COVID. That is more than enough for the DeWine Administration and the Ohio General Assembly to hate her.

More:'I have no regrets': Kristina Johnson talks stepping down as Ohio State president

Mark Mathys, Columbus

This guest column is available free: Support the exchange of local and state ideas by subscribing to the Columbus Dispatch.

Trustees have driven OSU off track

The Ohio State University has lost its way and fallen off the tracks.

It is a public university supported by our tax dollars and not the private fiefdom of the board of trustees.

Grad: Grad: I didn't get what I paid for during pandemic shutdown. Ohio State owes me.

OSU is wrong in failing to tell us why President Kristina Johnson was unceremoniously shown the exit.

They were also wrong in not resolving the sexual abuse cases against Dr. Richard Strauss and not rebating some tuition while classes were online only during COVID.

More:Ohio State files rare legal appeal to maneuver Strauss survivors in court

The trustees must regain the trust and confidence of the public by being transparent or select new engineers for the OSU train.

Michael Oser, Columbus

More:How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch

Did Kari Lake help Kristina Johnson with interview?

What was the point of even publishing the Dec. 4 article “Johnson discusses her exit from OSU” when it appears to me that Johnson had predetermined that she would cover two of her thoughts regardless of what was asked?

The questions were not at all softball and clearly asked her to explain the reason for her early departure from her position.

More:Here's a quick look at Ohio State University President Kristina Johnson's career

There was basically a stock answer to every single question asked during the entire interview — her answer that it was a hard decision followed by a litany of self-promotion relative to what she believes are her accomplishments.

Perhaps this interview was premature since no one seems prepared to disclose to taxpayers what the reason for her early departure is, but when I finished the article, I was left wondering if her interview coach is Kari Lake. 

Bill Jarosz, Delaware

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: Is short-sighted pettiness behind Kristina Johnson resignation