USF Talked Deal With Al-Arian

By ADAM EMERSON The Tampa Tribune

Published: Feb 8, 2007

TAMPA - A member of USF's Board of Trustees acknowledged Wednesday that the university was engaged in settlement talks years ago with former Professor Sami Al-Arian.

But the University of South Florida eventually rejected any financial offer for Al-Arian to leave the university, said Dick Beard, who was the USF board's chairman when a federal indictment accused Al-Arian of aiding terrorists.

Earlier Wednesday, Al-Arian told an interviewer with the radio program "Democracy Now!" that USF President Judy Genshaft in August 2002 offered "almost $1 million for me in order to resign."

He didn't identify Beard, but Al-Arian told interviewer Amy Goodman that "the chairman of the board objected because of the anticipated political fallout."

Beard said he didn't remember the amount of money discussed and said he didn't remember who initiated the talks. "I know we decided that we were not going to pay the guy off," Beard said.

The university weighed the cost to settle versus the cost to defend itself against a lawsuit it might have faced by taking action against the professor, Beard said.

Genshaft suspended Al-Arian with pay on Sept. 28, 2001, two days after his appearance on TV's "The O'Reilly Factor." Genshaft said she suspended Al- Arian because of threats the school received and concern that his presence on campus jeopardized safety. Al-Arian was fired Feb. 26, 2003, a move USF trustees supported, after he was indicted.

Genshaft would not comment Wednesday on the settlement talks. In a written statement, university spokeswoman Lara Wade said, "The university does not comment regarding negotiations, if any, with current or former employees."

Al-Arian was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in April to one count of aiding the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He had served more than three years while awaiting trial. The plea came after a five-month trial in which jurors failed to convict him of a single charge. They deadlocked on nine counts.

Al-Arian says he is on a hunger strike to protest a contempt charge he's facing for refusing to testify before a grand jury in Virginia. He was called before a grand jury there in October to answer questions about the International Institute of Islamic Thought in Herndon, Va., which funded Al-Arian's Palestinian think tank in Tampa.

The federal Bureau of Prisons now projects Al-Arian's release date as April 13. That date could be extended by as much as 18 months because of the Virginia contempt finding.

Al-Arian will be deported upon his release, but he told "Democracy Now!" - broadcast locally on WMNF, 88.5 FM - that "my family is still looking for a country. … That effort has stopped now because we don't know when I'll be leaving. And my attorneys and my family were trying to find me a country before this thing started back in September."

Reporter Elaine Silvestrini contributed to this report. Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285 or aemerson@tampatrib

m.com.