Gay Dean Says She Has Gotten Death Threats

A Cypress College dean who stated in a letter to the campus newspaper that she is a lesbian has received two death threats and says the college is not doing enough to support her.

Kay Andrews, 45, who taught sociology in rural Virginia before coming to Cypress in July as dean of the social science division, said she was startled to encounter such hostility in California.

“I expected tolerance,” Andrews said. “I didn’t expect full acceptance. I expected people would say, ‘She’s gay and so what.’ It wasn’t that way.”

After the incidents, campus security spent a day in training with the Orange County Human Relations Commission on hate crimes and diversity, and top administrators had a half-day session.

The chancellor of the North Orange County Community College District, which consists of Cypress and Fullerton colleges, has met with the gay employees group and expressed his support at a district board meeting.

These actions haven’t mollified Andrews, who filed a complaint against the district alleging discrimination. She says the college tried to cover up the incidents by not referring them to its affirmative action officer, a violation of district policy.

Cypress College President Marjorie Lewis, however, defended her staff. She said administrators acted appropriately by turning the matter over to police and by allowing Andrews to take time off.

Lewis denied the dean’s charge that administrators were more concerned with the campus’ image, and cited an instance in which she publicized an abduction and rape to warn those on campus.

“If I were concerned about image, I would have tried to keep that quiet,” she said.

Cypress police have closed the investigation into the threats against Andrews for lack of a suspect.

Before moving to California, Andrews taught at Virginia State University in Petersburg. Only a few close friends knew her sexual orientation, she said, because she feared for her life if she came out. That’s one reason she moved here.

The first death threat arrived May 18, two days after a letter Andrews wrote appeared in the Cypress Chronicle complaining about what she said was anti-gay language in a story. “As a lesbian administrator on this campus, I find the Sports Talk prediction personally painful to read,” she wrote.

Two days later, Michael Kasler, Cypress’ executive vice president, received a typewritten letter with a Long Beach postmark. “Either you get rid of Kay Andrews, or I will,” the letter read.

Andrews was told of the threat, and police were called.

“The first thing I felt was shock and surprise, because I didn’t anticipate that would happen here,” she said. “I was blown away. Then it made me angry.”

Andrews, who has suffered from depression in the past, said the first threat added to the stress she was feeling. Her depression returned, and she twice cut her left wrist in half-hearted suicide attempts.

“It was more of a gesture than a legitimate attempt,” Andrews said.

After missing three weeks of work and beginning therapy, she returned to school. The summer passed without problems.

But in early October a Cypress administrator discovered the second threat. On the back of a bathroom stall door was written: “The gay dean must die.”

According to Andrews, Kasler blamed the threats on the dean’s openness about her sexual orientation and said that if she didn’t “flaunt my lifestyle” she wouldn’t have such problems.

Kasler would not comment because of the district investigation into Andrews’ complaint. Campus spokesman Mark Posner said Kasler’s version of the conversation “differed quite widely.”