Lawmakers grill Haslam's UT board appointees over sex week, athletic director controversies and outsourcing

For four hours Wednesday, Gov. Bill Haslam's appointees to a new, smaller University of Tennessee board of trustees faced tough questions from state lawmakers — primarily on Sex Week, athletic director controversies and outsourcing.

And although the answers from nine of the 10 appointees seemed to ease concerns among members of the House and Senate education committees, the governor's list of appointees suffered one casualty: current board vice chair Raja Jubran.

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Jubran was one of four existing board members to be included in Haslam's 10 appointments to the new 12-member board.

When lawmakers raised issues with UT leaders during numerous committee meetings this legislative session, Jubran often caught the brunt of the criticism.

By Wednesday, it became apparent Jubran would not likely get confirmation from the Tennessee General Assembly, as required by the UT FOCUS Act.

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“I think the legislature has a concern about, quite frankly centered around Sex Week over at UT Knoxville. I understand that concern. I don’t like it," Haslam said after the House Education and Planning Committee took Jubran's appointment off notice. "I feel like the legislature wanted to send a message regarding that. I think with that, Raja said, ‘You know, maybe the smartest thing for me to do is to not go forward.'"

Haslam said Jubran voluntarily withdrew his name.

Lawmakers asked each appointee variations of the same questions about the controversial topics, highlighting longstanding frustrations.

In their answers, the board appointees decried UT Knoxville's controversial sex education week, discussed the school's $2.5 million separation agreement with former athletic director John Currie and said they would not support outsourcing.

All of the other appointees, including John Compton, Kara Lawson, Donnie Smith, Sharon Pryse, Kim White, Bill Rhodes, Melvin Malone, Bill Evans and Brad Lampley, advanced in the House. The Senate Education Committee also took Jubran's name off notice, but deferred action on the others.

House lawmakers passed the UT FOCUS Act to reduce the board from 27 to 12 members on March 29 and Haslam signed the bill into law on Friday.

In addition to gubernatorial appointees, which must get confirmation from the House and Senate, the new board includes the Commissioner of Agriculture and a non-voting student member.

As well as reducing the size of the board, the bill Haslam signed into law Friday creates seven advisory boards for the separate UT campuses.

Haslam said Wednesday that he had not yet thought of Jubran's replacement.

All of the appointees are University of Tennessee alumni and at least two are from each grand division of the state, according to a news release from the governor's office.

A faculty member will also be appointed to the board's Academic Affairs Student Success committee.

The appointments are effective July 1, subject to confirmation by the Tennessee General Assembly.

Reach Reporter Jordan Buie at 615-726-5970 or by email at jbuie@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter @jordanbuie.