Members of the UB community may have unassumingly tuned in to 60 Minutes on Sunday night only to witness the school's name sullied by connections to fraud, embezzlement and deceit.
In the 60 Minutes feature, it was alleged that Central Asia Institute (CAI) Executive Director Greg Mortenson lied in his book of memoirs, Three Cups of Tea, on several accounts, and has been accused of using the not-for-profit organization as his own personal money tree.
Mortenson, founder of the "Pennies for Peace" charity that uses its donations in order to build schools and improve educational systems in Pakistan and Afghanistan, allegedly embellished numerous accounts in his memoirs. He has claimed to build schools that famed American author Jon Krakauer claims to be non-existent. A lawyer recently warned Mortenson that the Internal Revenue Service could potentially be coming for the $7 million that he owes to CAI, according to an article from Nationalpost.com.
In Three Cups of Tea, Mortenson claimed to make his way to Korphe, Pakistan after failing to climb K2. There the locals nursed him back to health, according to his book. He also explained how the Taliban kidnapped him and how all of his experiences transformed him into a man with the sole desirs to return to the Middle East to help better the educational situation.
Krakaeur and, most recently, 60 Minutes have found discrepancies with his tales.
"It's a compelling creation myth, one that he has repeated in thousands of public appearances and media interviews," Krakauer said in his investigative essay, Three Cups of Deceit. "The problem is, it's precisely that: a myth."
On Nov. 10, 2010, Mortenson came to UB as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series and was presented with a check for $15,208.62. The funds came from the Center for Student Leadership and Community Engagement as part of Stay-Up UB's Dance Party, which annually picks a charity to raise funds for philanthropically.
In a statement released by UB on Tuesday, the university explained that it is aware of the allegations regarding Mortenson and is monitoring the story as it unfolds. The statement also claimed that the university is taking steps to make students who donated to "Pennies for Peace" aware of what resources will be available should the allegations be true. The university also stated that since Mortenson fulfilled his obligations, it will not seek a refund for services rendered. As of press time, The Spectrum had not yet been informed of the figure.
Elayne Rapping is a professor emerita of American studies and media studies at UB, and has written several books on media and social issues, as well as published hundreds of articles and interviews. She is concerned about the aftermath that will follow considering the gravity of the allegations.
"This has a terrible effect on fundraising for non-profits like Mortensen's and any in the world," Rapping said. "It is egregious of him to have done what he apparently has done. These fraudulent memoirs are a sign of the times these days. You can say anything you want it seems and get attention and money – but at what cost for the credibility of serious charitable organizations?"
Bringing Mortenson to UB to speak was something that Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Barbara Ricotta and Student Affairs wasn't hesitant in doing. Mortenson came highly recommended by colleagues and students alike.
"There's nothing wrong with [Mortenson's] message," Ricotta said. "But we don't do extensive background checks. We do Google searches just like anyone else on our speakers. There was a lot of interest in him, but nothing in our research on him raised a red flag."
Initial concerns raised by members of the UB Community asked whether or not UB officials should have looked into Mortenson's background. The message that he conveys in his speeches and through CAI and his work is one of hope and prosperity, and Ricotta suggests that people should embrace what he has done and the help he has given.
Student Association President Nischal Vasant attended the event last year and hopes people still take away the message Mortenson delivered, even if the allegations end up to being true.
"There's virtually no way that UB could have known about [the allegations]," Vasant said. "It actually was a good event. The speech itself and what he talked about was a good cause and exciting news as far as building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Vasant also mentioned how it's hard to comment on the situation because the facts haven't been fully unearthed.
John Della Contrada, assistant vice president for media relations, explained that the Distinguished Speaker Series isn't a process entirely controlled by UB decision makers.
"We work with the speaker's booking agency that books these speakers for us," Della Contrada said. "There's a roster of speakers that we work with and [the booking agency does] the background checks. We bring speakers in each year as you know to discuss timely topics and to encourage healthy debate about issues that might be in the news."
Representatives from the Leadership office were unavailable for comment at press time.
Stick with The Spectrum for full coverage of this story as Part 2 runs in Friday's issue.
Email: news@ubspectrum.com
