Regan rant strikes concern campus-wide
April 24, 2016
Shots were fired Monday as the university’s former public relations head George Regan of Regan Communications lashed out at the Boston institution, calling for retribution for what he sees as an unjust firing from a university his firm has been employed for more than 27 years.
Regan – a public relations maven who ardently backed Suffolk’s immediate removal of the now outgoing president Margaret McKenna – jabbed the institution, vowing to remain a loud presence in the media in attempts to save the university from what he feels was a terrible mistake vetting its first female president.
“I owe that school and that woman has no right being the leader. That’s why I took a very public stand,” said Regan in an interview with Commonwealth Magazine published Monday, later commenting McKenna has made several “unnecessary enemies” during her mere nine months in office.
With the one-on-one interview going viral within hours on campus disrupting classes and upsetting sources familiar with the matter, Student Government Association President Colin Loiselle struck back at Regan, seeing his latest outburst as a serious threat to a university in desperate need of stability.
“I would love to see a report of the services this delusional man actually provided Suffolk University. Listen, if I lost such an easy paycheck, I’d be angry too. But it’s time to move on. #DelusionalGeorge,” posted Loiselle to Facebook early Tuesday morning, later encouraging students to tweet directly at the public relations firm and voice their concerns.
In an interview with the Journal late Tuesday, Loiselle addressed SGA’s plans to protect student interests as Regan remains determined to unleash the university’s private matters publically, saying, “it’s just the sixth inning,” to Commonwealth Magazine.
“I don’t see these problems going away until we have a new chairman of the Board of Trustees. All the instability around that position has made the perfect environment for George Regan to act the way he is acting,” said Loiselle.
“But, the game is over. Regan has lost. He’s been kicked out of the tournament. He’s not even playing anymore,” said Loiselle.
SGA President-Elect Sean Walsh, the vice president throughout this year’s turnnover, shared the same sentiments.
“It’s time for Mr. Regan to move on and to stop running the good name of Suffolk University through the mud,” said Walsh.
Promising to remain a present, strong player advocating for student interests during the ongoing, shaky administrative affairs, Loiselle said he thinks the university needs to reevaluate the sorts of contracts and company they’re keeping.
“What we can do is when we meet with the Board of Trustees and as we move forward, demand that these types of contracts don’t exist, because they’re useless,” said Loiselle.
“We will also maintain that the Board should report these types of contracts and be transparent about what they’re doing, because I can’t list a single thing that Regan Communications did for Suffolk, and I’m sure there are people on the Board that can’t list anything they’ve done,” said Loiselle.
SGA’s next step, said Loiselle, is ensuring Chariman Andrew Meyer and the Board reform their bylaws and adopt a shared governance where decisions are communicated clearly so the university, students and alumni can act proactively rather than reactively.
“Change is what we demand. We are prepared to handle that. But, I’m not optimistic it will be over soon,” said Loiselle, “and there’s not much SGA can do in terms of preventing Regan from continuing to pout like a child in the media.”
Ironically, of the names Regan addressed to Commonwealth Magazine, is former Regan Communications employee Greg Gatlin, who currently holds the position as the university’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Suffolk spokesperson.
“Sometimes people forget where they came from,” said Regan in the article. “I’m a little disappointed in him… That’s Greg. I don’t lose any sleep over it.”
Gatlin declined to comment on Regan’s statement.
In terms of moving the university forward as the academic year comes to an end, Walsh is slated to inherit a university and student body still in the thralls of a media nightmare.
Said Walsh on taking office in the fall: “Moving forward, we need to keep the positive messaging about this university alive. We’ve seen tremendous support for the #SuffolkStory campaign, and as students, we need to make sure that all of the tremendous positives drown out the negatives that are coming from Regan and the Board.”
“Students need to be a major part of the process for hiring a new President of the University when that time comes,” he said.