The
college
administrator
selected
to
lead
Emory
University
pledged
to
uphold
the
gay-friendly
policies
already
in
place
on
the
campus
of
the
prestigious
private
school
in
Decatur.
James
W.
Wagner,
a
former
vice
president
and
provost
at
Case
Western
Reserve
University
in
Cleveland,
Ohio,
was
tapped
July
30,
2003,
to
lead
the
11,600-student
school.
Wagner
replaced
William
M.
Chace,
who
presided
for
nine
years
during
a
time
in
which
the
college
became
the
first
in
the
state
to
offer
domestic
partner
benefits
to
its
employees.
Emory
included
sexual
orientation
into
its
nondiscrimination
policies
in
1993.
Three
years
later,
it
began
offering
the
partner
benefits.
The
majority
of
Wagner’s
past
interaction
with
gay
students
occurred
at
Case
Western
after
the
campus
gay
group
had
event
posters
defaced
in
“absolutely
disrespectful”
ways,
he
said.
The
most
common
incidents
of
gay
harassment
occur
in
dorms
for
first-year
students
who
aren’t
comfortable
living
with
openly
gay
students.
But
the
school
consistently
follows
up
incidents
with
investigations
and
resident
assistant
training.
Wagner
still
holds
the
post
of
Emory’s
president.
Southern
Voice,
Aug.
23,
2003
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