Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Troy McCullough, Tim Davis, Jennifer Holland, Kathleen Carlson and Jenny Hykes.

Iowa State’s director of affirmative action, appointed in March 1994, left quietly after only 17 months at his new job.

He left a little too quietly, with too many unanswered questions surrounding his departure.

David Torres left his position as affirmative action director to be a professor in the education department on Aug. 1, 1995.

Torres’ new position as adjunct assistant professor, which paid $24,396 more than the next highest paid assistant professor position in the department, was part of a contract between the university administration and Torres, developed when Torres left his affirmative action position, ostensibly, to allow Torres to pursue his newly proclaimed interest in teaching.

Another part of this contract allotted $4,000 to be paid to a firm in Ankeny which was to assist Torres in finding another job.

Rather than continuing his newly claimed interest in teaching, Torres found another job as affirmative action director at Mississippi State University.

He officially left ISU for this new job on Feb. 29.

His position as a professor at ISU is not being replaced.

As the Iowa State Daily was reporting on Torres’ actions, university officials, members of the affirmative action office and Torres declined to answer any specific questions about why Torres left, why such a contract was developed and why he was moved to a teaching position before leaving the university entirely.

Repeatedly, regulations about privacy of personnel records were cited.

While we appreciate such laws, the university should answer for the more than $60,000 spent to employ Torres as a professor and to help him find a new job as an affirmative action director.

This is not even counting the thousands of dollars spent to find Torres and now to find a replacement for Torres’ position as affirmative action director and the $33,000 now being paid to Torres’ part-time interim replacement in the affirmative action office, Jeanne Johnson.

Besides the significant expenses incurred by Torres’ departure, there is some evidence that Torres left the university for more reasons that just an interest in teaching.

Why did Jan Padgitt, the associate affirmative action officer, say there were untrue rumors and suggestions that office staff were part of the “problem” in (Torres’ departure)?

Why did affirmative action office secretary Judy Kubera cite legal advice as the reason why she could not comment on her former supervisor’s resignation?

Why did ISU president Martin Jischke refer all questions regarding Torres to the university lawyer, Paul Tanaka?

Why did the university draw up such a sweetheart of a deal when Torres sought to leave after less than two years at ISU?

Why did this contract state that it should “not be construed as an admission of any wrongdoing by any party?”

And why,within this same contract, did Torres promise not to sue the university?

The Iowa State community deserves answers to these important questions, and those in the position to answer them need to be up front, even if that means admitting mistakes or problems.