Smith Laboratory houses the Salmon P. Chase Center. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Lantern File Photo
The Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society will have a new associate director following the departure of Christopher R. Green, who stepped down from his position at the end of February.
Green will return to his position as a professor with the Chase Center following his departure from the leadership role and will be succeeded by Ste?phane Lavertu in August, according to his Chase Center profile, in which he is listed as “Incoming Associate Director.”
The change in leadership comes after an incident at Smith Laboratory on Feb. 9, in which Chase Center Professor Luke Perez tackled Mike Newman, an independent videographer and journalist, according to prior Lantern reporting.
Perez was charged with assault and Newman received a temporary protection order following the incident, according to prior Lantern reporting.
Perez will appear in count again on May 4 for a pre-trial hearing. Subpoenas were issued for Newman and DJ Byrnes to, another independent journalist present on Feb. 9, according to Franklin Country Court records
Green, who was present at the incident, stepped down from his role as associate director at the end of February, but Chase Director Lee Strang said this move was planned from the beginning.
“Chris also graciously agreed last spring to serve in an administrative role because the Center needed a senior faculty member to assist with leadership in its initial phase of growth,” Strang said,“Chris and I both knew that he would return to a full-time scholarly role as soon as possible.”
Lavertu is a professor of Public Policy in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs with a focus in K-12 education. According to his profile, he “regularly conducts such research in collaboration with schools, nonprofit think tanks, and state and local governments.”
“Ste?phane Lavartu’s relationship with the Chase Center has recently made it possible to let Chris go back to what he most wants to do: think about the Constitution and explain it to the next generation of Americans,” Strang said.
