Sacks to Name Investigator in Racism Charge

Albert M. Sacks, dean of the Law School, said yesterday he is currently searching for someone outside the University to investigate the case of a Law School student who filed a discrimination complaint in December against a law firm recruiter.

The Law School Placement Committee made the recommendation for an outside investigation to Sacks in February. Sacks has yet to respond officially to the recommendation.

Sacks said the investigator will be a "detached person" who will be allowed to personally determine how to conduct the investigation.

"I've been looking outside, but if no one will make the commitment, I may have to look inside the University," he said.

'Racially Offensive'

The black third-year law student, Gail E. Bowman, filed an official complaint against John H. Morrison of the Chicago firm of Kirkland and Ellis for allegedly making three "racially offensive" remarks to her during a job interview last fall.

According to Bowman, Morrison told her "the last black to leave [the firm] went to Clorox...isn't that funny, a black man going to work for a bleach company."

Bowman said Morrison also told her the firm had previously hired "a black girl just like you, only short," and that the firm "just can't keep black lawyers because corporations hire them...they have to keep the quotas, too."

Bowman said yesterday that she is pleased with Sacks's action, and that she is "disposed to waiting" for the investigation before considering any further action.

"I've only been told that the investigator will collect statements from both Morrison and me," Bowman said. Morrison submitted a response to Bowman's complaint to the Placement Committee in January, but both he and members of the Committee have declined to discuss his statement publicly.

"I've talked to a number of people, and I expect to find someone to take on the commitment reasonably soon," Sacks said. He declined to discuss any of the people he has contacted.