Controversial Rights Panel Chairman Quits
The White House on Wednesday belatedly revealed that President Bush has accepted the resignation of William Barclay Allen as chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Allen, a California professor, had sparked repeated controversies during his time leading the embattled commission.
The most recent came less than two weeks ago when he gave a speech titled, “Blacks? Animals? Homosexuals? What is a Minority?” to the California Coalition for Traditional Values.
The six other commission members voted to separate themselves from the speech, saying the title was “thoughtless, disgusting and unnecessarily inflammatory.”
Allen, a professor of government at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, had offered his resignation some time ago, but Bush did not formally accept it until Monday.
Charles G. Untermeyer, the White House personnel director who confirmed the action, said Murray Friedman, the vice chairman, will be acting chairman.
Allen remains on the commission, which is just six weeks away from expiring unless Bush and Congress provide more money to keep it going.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
