My alma mater. I think they got it right on this one.

Add one more entry to list of Mary Wash fame. He now joins Erika Sifrit. Remember the Ocean City murders? Yeah... She was a classmate.

I don't have a dog in this fight but let's not forget that these were still just charges and will remain as that until they have been proven in court.

Even if he ultimately gets off legally on some weird technicality, it doesn't change the facts of what he did. UMW totally did the right thing.

Memo to Marc Fisher: When you take your own children out of private school and put them in public school, your comments about the administration of public schools will have more relevance. Until that time, please confine yourself to those topics-if any- about which you truly know something.

Memo to sanctimonious poster: You're a hateful jerk!

Just a nit point, but Mary Washington College changed its name to the University of Mary Washington a couple of years ago.

Alexandria Parent... Perry is a bad example to my children and yours. She needs to go. The continued support of h er by you and your ilk has seriously undermined ACPS.

The definition of hyperbole: 1. obvious and intentional exaggeration. 2.an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as "to wait an eternity." 3.the last sentence of this column-`The Alexandria schools still suffer from the devastating loss of credibility that Perry visited upon them and that the school board decided to pretend never happened.` In what way exactly do the schools suffer? Graduates fail to be admitted to colleges? Enrollments dropping? Teachers leaving? Parents in revolt? Funding for new construction denied? Well, no, none of those things have happened. The schools still suffer by having this matter dredged up yet again by MF, but I suspect the kids will survive.

38,000 killed on the roads every year, with over half of those involving drivers impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. Who knows how many more are maimed for life by these criminals - that's right, I called them criminals, because that is what they are.

Mary Washington made a good statement here that should be loud and clear.

It's time to shut down the good-ol'-boy, nod-nod, wink-wink approach to impaired drivers. First offenders need extended jail time with long-term loss of their driving privileges. If they truly have an addiction to alcohol and/or drugs, the jail sentence should be open ended (as long as possible) for the criminal to complete rehab and counseling before they are released. After they are let out - any further offenses would be felonies with mandatory state prison time. Also, change the law so driving without a license after it has been revoked is more than a lousy ticket. Give them more jail time if necessary but keep these idiots off the road and away from my family and friends.

Does losing a drivers license make it hard to get to work? Not my problem because I don't drive impaired. Is that harsh? You bet! I have already attended enough funerals caused by these fools and I don't want to go to any more.

Will the elected officals do what is right and make these changes? No way - a lot of them would need to hitch a ride to work.

Forget drunk driving; I can't believe they didn't sack him just for playing Fred Mertz on "I Love Lucy."

Finally an institute of learning that holds its employees to the same moral standards as its students! Alexandria schools had no business keeping Perry-it soend a conflicting message to the students and undermines the whole point of discipline and accountability. And to the Alex. parent who criticizes MF for private schools-you need a reality check. The Perry incident is one of the reasons parents have given up on public schools-no accountability and no parental input. PTAs have done a poor job of leading- they maintain too cozy of a relationship with school administrators and don't ask tough questions or challenge their decisions. Parents need to revolt.

So FDR and Winston Churchill were unfit to lead, I guess. They pulled their nations out of the abyss, but they had some unhealthy habits, and therefore should have never gotten the opportunity. Moral beacons? Give me a break. I didn't realize only saints, nuns, and monks were eligible for gainful employment, positions of responsibility, or the Consent of the Governed.

I don't agree that we should instantaneously give the ax to any public official caught drunk driving. People make mistakes. Sometimes they get behind the wheel of a car not realizing how impaired they are. If they're willing to own up to their mistake and do something about it, I'll give them a second chance. On the other hand, if the official does the same stunt two days in a row, then he should go.

So, I don't think the disparate outcomes in Alexandria and Mary Washington were wrong. I'll give anybody a second chance. I won't necessarily give them a third.

John said the same thing I was going to say. Once, is a mistake but TWO times in three days?!? C'Mon!

I have been arrested for DUI in Virginia in '04. I had a BAC of .10 and accepted my punishment like a man. I plead guilty, no lawyer, and accepted my punishment. I hope I taught my children two lessons:

1. Take responsibility for your actions no matter how harsh

2. Don't drink and drive

I will not attempt to drive with even one beer under my belt now. The risk is too great. On the other side, I wonder how much punishment this person will get? I compare my punishment against what Ms. Perry got and she had a slap on the wrist.

How long will the Courts decided to hold a double standard? Just because you're famous or on such and such Board you get a slap while me, the average Joe, gets the maximum punishment? I do understand I did not use a lawyer but jeez...

So I guess the feeling here is that if someone is convicted of DUI once, like GW Bush, or especially twice in one year , like Dick Cheney, they should never, ever be allowed to hold a position of public trust and responsibility.

yep, those two especially! see they are having a difficult time leading the country. (they still have difficulty recognizing mistakes and taking responsibility for their actions. (i'm counting the days until they leave town)

Marc, your diatribe about setting examples and accepting responsibility is all well and good, but don't attribute more upstanding personality traits to those who supposedly set a standard for public education. These are jobs after all, although arguably more prominent because they're funded by public money and are reported on by major media outlets. If the contract these administrators signed contained a morals clause, you might have an argument. Otherwise, you don't. People of all professional stripes break the law all the time. These incidents, while deplorable for the danger they cause to others who drive, are often signs of a deeper problem--- depression, alcoholism and the like. Those of us who don't work in the public education system often have a high opinion of it, and I believe that we all want the same thing from said system--- good education and caring, involved staff, both of which prepare students for their futures. I don't believe that in these cases, that responsibility was seriously compromised.

Schools are notorious for embracing these Zero Tolerance policies towards their students. They suspend the 7 year old for bringing a toy squirt gun to school, the ten year old for accidentally having a knife in the lunch box to cut up an apple, etc. etc. It seems only fair that the school boards adopt a similarly callous, no second chances mentality with the adults, as well.

If you recall back in the summer of 1969 Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge while intoxicated. He got out of the car and sat on the shore while his girlfriend drowned in the back seat. He didn't go for help until much later. He was subsequently elected again and again as a Senator from Massachusetts. A lot of people still hold the entire Kennedy clan in high regard.

I recall an incident when I worked for the Metropolitan Police Dept. many years ago. A particular captain and his toots would meet in his van in the garage of 300 Indiana Avenue. (When this van is rockin, don't be knockin.) The toots produced a child or two from these meetings. They got into a domestic and he fired a couple shots at her from his service revolver. She did the right thing -- she married him! Then he whined he was an alcoholic, the Department sent him to rehab (I think they paid for it) then promoted him to a higher rank. See, some folks get all the breaks. That person is legend among the lower ranking officers. Gives them someone to 'look up to.'

I'm not sure why this keeps coming up for you--but the Perry situation is like a broken record, to use a non-digital term. Alexandria officials made a decision, based on their knowledge of the woman and her past--and current behavior. Please find something else to carp about.

Wow, do all the people in Alexandria have such thin skin? Or are the thin-skinned Alexandrians just attracted to Marc's blog?

It's disappointing to have the us vs. them, public vs. private school parents debate come up again. Just because you make a choice one way or the other doesn' mean you don't care about and/or have a stake in the all the children in Alexandria. We all live together, the kids all play together at Alexandria sports leagues, parks, cub scouts, and everywhere else outside of school. We all have a stake in ensuring that all our children are raised with good role models, are well educated, and have values and principles that will lead them to be good teenagers, and good adults. No one wins if either public school or private school children fail, and we all win if all the kids win. The city shouldn't be divided over where the kids go to school, or the choices parents make for many different reasons. We can disagree on the results of the school board decision, and vote accordingly in school board elections to register our concerns, but the divide over private vs. public school choice needs to bridged, and parents need to work together for all of Alexandria's children. United we are much better to help children handle all of their challenges and ensure a better city for all the residents.

Memo to Alexandria parent: Unless you're a school administrator yourself, what exactly do you know about the administration of public schools?

Ryan, we`re not thin skinned, we`re just sick of Marc Fisher beating the story to death. The incident in question took place in May 2004, fully three years ago. Ms. Perry had no history of DUI previously and has had none since. She did not cause an accident. She did not resist arrest. She did not appear on COPS. She made her court appearance and accepted the judgement of the court. She complied with the terms of her conviction. She complied with the conditions of the School Board. And she suffered a good deal of humiliation at the hands of the media, most notably Mr. Fisher. Even if you feel that her poor judgement on the night in question justified all this, do you honestly think that she should be held accountable for the actions of the School Board, all of whom have left office? Should she be lumped with someone who drove drunk twice in three days? Someone who caused the death of another?

You really can't compare the two cases. From what I read Perry seemed to have one cocktail with dinner and got pulled over for a minor traffic violation and was cited. Not that this makes it right. But Frawley was off his rocker drunk twice in 3 days. He even flipped his car over!! I mean, come on, you CAN'T be saying these two incidents are the same and deserve the same punishment.

Mr. Frawley has a long and distinguished career as an academic (professor of linguistics) and as the dean of the college of arts and sciences at GWU. I fail to see why that long record of achievement should be trashed on the basis of one mistake (possibly two, but we don't know if injuries from the first incident affected his judgment in checking out of the hospital against medical advice and being arrested a second time). Nor do I know the extent to which medical problems, or unanticipated drug interactions, may have resulted in conduct for which Mr. Frawley can not fairly be held responsible. Does Mr. Fisher know the answer to those questions, or does he just want to "make an example" of someone he knows nothing about and risk ruining a man's reputation just to make some abstract political point?

As for what Fisher regards as Mary Washington's high-minded regard for propriety in dismissing Mr. Frawley, how much of that was due to concerns about possible financial obligations to Mr. Frawley if he were not fired promptly?

I am not suggesting that Mr. Fisher is necessarily wrong, or that Mary Washington was necessarily wrong in doing what it did. What I am saying is that I don't know the answer to those questions. And there is nothing in Mr. Fisher's piece to indicate that he knows those answers, either.

Hmmm. Guy gets caught driving drunk twice in a short period of time. He's probably an alcholic. Thus, he has an illness. This probably falls under the Americans With Disabilities Act, so he can sue WMC, and win.

Marc:
The Post is pretty good about catching factual errors; but, Marc, you win an award for two errors in the first sentence. As someone earlier posted the name of the institution is the University of Mary Washington (which is awful, but that's they the new name they chose). Second, Frawley was caught 'allegedly' driving under the influence twice in TWO days (I think the incidents were separated by something like 26 hours.

What is really unfortunate is that missed opportunity of what educators like to call a "teachable moment." Yes, we are showing people that actions have consequences; but had Frawley just owned up to what he had done and told the UMW community that he was sorry and going to seek treatment, I think he would still be the president of the university (at the very least, he would have had the support of this alum).

Thank you, Carrie Nation. Whenever your paper does any reporting on a fatal accident involving drunk driving, it invariable turns out that the offender had put away 10+ drinks with a blood alcohol level through the stratosphere. And how does the state respond? By lowering the legal limits so they can nab you or me when when we have two drinks with dinner instead of one. Does that make us any safer? Does it make Mr. 10+ drinks think twice before downing that 11th shot? No, it just embarrasses good folks like Ms. Perry.

I wish our legislators where as concerned about how easy it is for some wacko to buy a firearm as they are about pressing my moral fiber.

HOLD ON. I am not an attorney, but last time I checked, even in Virginia the Constitution is in effect.

Firing someone for being accused of a crime?? What about trial by jury, innocent until proven guilty and all the other minor and inconsequential stuff we learned in government class?

Or does that not apply in the academy (certainly, freedom of speech doesn't!)?

Now, we don't know all the facts, but this very bizarre series of events (no known history of alcoholism followed by two DWI's in a few days) suggests some significant psychopathology that needs to be investigated. Immediate termination (even if payment follows) seems to be very severe to me.

-- a physician

Any institution can hire and fire whoever whenever they want, with or without cause, unless they have a contract for a particular period of time. I'd suggest Mr. Frawley contact his attorney to look at his contract for any clause that sets out termination offenses. If he is rehired, it can be pure hell working for someone who doesn't want you there.

Don't you know that you can't go wrong when blabbering on about things that are politically correct to harp on? Whether it be drunken driving or Don Imus the Post will encourgage its columnists to write about it as long as the message is P.C.

Henry: In Virginia, unless there is something specific in this guy's contract regarding this situation, he can be fired for any legal reason or no reason at all.

I work at the University of Mary Washington, I know Dr. Frawley, and found this whole thing so disheartening. Dr. Frawley is brilliant, and it was a privilege to work for him. But, in the end, the role of President is about more than brilliance. You are the one who rallies everyone, moves along initiatives, and unites people to make positive change. That effort is highly impaired under the cloud of the DUI, and I regret that I think the Board did the right thing.

I am a recovering alcoholic. Alcoholism is an illness, but driving under the influence is a criminal act, not just a symptom. The general consciousness about drunk driving these days is too present to act as though you are not responsible due to an illness. Anything I did when I was drinking is my problem, as was getting sober. I hope the same for Dr. Frawley. I will miss him.

As a 1978 graduate of then-Mary Washington College, the school definitely got it right, and I was pleased to see the terse announcement that the alumni office issued the other day. Mary Washington has had several exceptional presidents, and coming up on its 100th anniversary, deserves better than the school's recent choice. Of course, compassion is in order for the family, and for personal problems that were obviously not articulated by Dr. Frawley in his interviews, or explored by the Board of Visitors. I suppose the only bright spot here is that no one was killed in either one of the accidents. But in the future, the Board needs to do a much better job of selecting and vetting potential leaders for such a distingushed school. Perhaps a new committee is also in order.

The point about Frawley is that he seemed to be avoiding responsibility. As I read the story, he refused a sobriety test, left Fairfax hospitol against doctors' advice seemingly to avoid receiving a warrent; drove *without a front tire*, ignoring the police attempting to pull him over, and refusing ANOTHER sobriety test.

Seems to me, if Frawley had acknowledged responsibility after the first event, stayed in the Hospitol and taken his lumps, UMW may not have felt the need to fire him. As it is, his behavior throughout illustrated major character flaws that would be fatal for a University President and the University for which he worked.

So we should fire everyone who has a personal mistake that breaks a law? Who will do our work? Or why not just write in the law "*in addition, the convicted person will lose their job."*

Unless, of course, they are a newspaper employee.

I wish the BOV at William & Mary saw things so clearly. President Nichol has divided the school, damaged its reputation and essentially killed fundraising and the wimpy, weasely BOV still haven't fired him. Unbelievable.

I used to work with Bill and, sadly, Arlington Mom got it right. Leaving the hospital AMA, driving on a rim, not pulling over for the cops, refusing a breathalyzer reflect on his character. I suspect UMW's BOV saw those qualities in other situations too.