UGA Student Issues Statement On Altercation With Red & Black Publisher

The University of Georgia student who was involved in an altercation on Friday with Red & Black publisher Harry Montevideo won't press charges.

According to a statement on the Grady Newsource website, student Josh Buce said he was "disappointed" with the apology Montevideo issued. It appears on the Grady Newsource website. Buce said he thought the apology was "back-handed" and didn't reflect what really happened.

Buce had gone upstairs with students who wanted to write for the Red & Black. Montevideo later told reporters he had asked Buce to turn off the camera he was carrying, and then simply tried to grab Buce's camera, adding that Buce fell to his knees when Montevideo tried to do this.

A photograph shows Montevideo's hand on Buce's neck. Witnesses have said that Montevideo forced Buce to the floor and then led him to the stairs. In his statement, Buce said

In the video released by Grady Newsource, I can be heard saying, “excuse me” while being escorted out of the newsroom by Mr. Montevideo.  On my way to the exit, he told me several times that I needed to leave and demanded that the camera be shut off.  He then reached for my camera while forcibly applying pressure on the back of my neck.  The released Grady Newsource video, witness accounts, and pictures are substantial enough for the public to draw their own conclusions.

Some members of the governing board of the non-profit are expected to interview editor candidates today, according to a staff member of the student newspaper for the University of Georgia.

Re-applying for her job as editor-in-chief will be Polina Marinova, who resigned last Wednesday, of most of the newspaper's staff. Editorial control, review of stories before publication and interference by a meddling board member all contributed to her decision to leave, she said. The managing editor, Julia Carpenter, has been in England but will also re-apply.

Marinova said if she is hired, she will bring back the staff who left with her. Last week, they immediately formed an alternative publication, Red & Dead, and began publicizing their situation through social media.

On Friday, for changes at the newspaper and publicly apologized for any misunderstandings, stressing that the Red & Black is a student newspaper, with final editorial say-so resting with the students. 

Also, since Montevideo's $189,000 compensation in 2011 has been publicized so widely, he has told a Red & Black alumni group that he volunteered to the board that he would return to his $90,000 base salary.

Clarification from Harry Montevideo:

Due to a delays in receiving bonuses I was due in calendar years 2008, 2009 and paid in fiscal year 2010, my compensation while being accurately reported via publicly available 990s, does not accurately reflect what I am paid. You can do the math if you like, average out those three years. While developing our 2012-13 budget, prior to our most recent board meeting on August 4, I volunteered to reduce my base salary to $90,000 a 25% reduction. I am also eligible to receive up to 25% of my base salary as an annual bonus, if I meet publishing objectives set by our board. These objectives include among others, increasing audience engagement, increasing revenues and improving the presentation and content of all our products. In light of declining revenues over the past five years, I felt this was prudent and fair to both parties. It is aligned with what others in similar college media operations, with similar length of service are being paid.

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