A methamphetamine possession charge against Denise Bennett, recently fired UI Journalism and Mass Media (JAMM) professor, was dropped Wednesday.
The preliminary hearing, which was originally scheduled for Oct. 2, was cancelled and rescheduled for Oct. 30. Bennett still faces a felony charge for burglary and a misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia. She has yet to make a plea on the burglary charge, but she pleaded not guilty to the drug paraphernalia possession charge, as originally reported the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
Last week, Bennett appealed UI President C. Scott Green’s decision to fire her in a Sept. 25 letter she sent to the Faculty Appeals Hearing Board (FAHB). In her letter, she claims the university violated its guidelines about dismissal and discipline of faculty as outlined in the UI Faculty and Staff Handbook (FSH).
In her letter, she also claims in her appeal her immediate supervisor, Director of the School of Journalism and Mass Media Robin Johnson, failed to comply with FSH policy when he referred complaints against her to the CLASS Dean’s office before consulting her.
There is no solidified timeline for action on Bennett’s appeal — the FAHB will review her appeal letter and submit a recommendation to Green, who will ultimately make the final decision regarding her employment.
Ellen Dennis can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @edennis37