(Publisher’s Note: Hanna Perry is a journalism major and a photography minor at West Liberty University who is currently serving as an intern for LEDE News.)
West Liberty University’s President W. Franklin Evans plagiarized speeches on three separate occasions.
These speeches included a speech he gave in January 2021 at an NAACP event that was held in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Juneteenth event that took place in Flushing, Ohio, and the freshman convocation speech which was given on September 15.
According to Plagiarism Today, “Evans plagiarized the speech that he gave at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration by quoting author Doug Williford without crediting him and even implied that he came up with the analogy himself. During the speech that he gave at the Juneteenth event, he plagiarized several sources including the Smithsonian Website, an op-ed piece by Greg Bell, and a New York Times article. During the freshman convocation speech, Evans plagiarized a significant portion of his speech from a July 2021 article by Robert Farrington at Forbes magazine. The article, titled “5 Tips for College Freshman to Help Maximize Year One,” featured much of the same language and even the same tips as Evans’ speech.“
According to The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register, “West Liberty University’s Board of Governors voted unanimously to subject Evans to disciplinary action for plagiarism in multiple speeches he has made as the university’s president, though the specific actions were not disclosed. When the motion to terminate Evans was brought to a vote, only five board members voted to fire the president, with seven voting to keep him.“
Tucker Sebring, a West Liberty University junior said, “What (President Evans) did was not right whatsoever. Plagiarism is never a good thing, especially when it comes to doing it in a scholarly setting. I believe there should be consequences, but I am not sure what those should consist of.”
West Liberty University sophomore Cole Goode said, “If this was a one-time thing, I would kind of understand, but this is a reoccurring problem.
“This is insanely unprofessional and makes me wonder just how hard it is to become the president of a university,” Goode continued. “Also, maybe throw in Student Handbook Article III Section B for salt in the wound.”
The portion of the Student Handbook that Goode is referring to states, “Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty. Furnishing false information to any University official, faculty member, or office. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any University document, record, or instrument of identification.“
