Ernest A. Oliver
58 Bohr Drive
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37415
423/877-8723
Fax/423/876-8616
November 25, 2002 Certified Mail
#7002 0860 0007 9209 7388
Honorable Governor-Elect Phil Bredesen
One Music Circle North, Suite 300
Nashville, Tennessee 37203
RE: Recent Appointment of Dr. James Catanzaro Sr.
to the lottery committee of the Tennessee Higher
Education Commission
Dear Governor Bredesen:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you of my concerns with the
recent appointment of Dr. James Catanzaro Sr. to the committee that
will determine where Tennessee's lottery funds will be spent. My
enclosed letter to Dr. Richard Rhoda details my concerns and the
concerns of many Tennesseans who are very suspicious of organized
crime in Tennessee.
Background:
In 1971, I was a toxicologist for the Tennessee Department of
Public Health here in Chattanooga. In 1972, I joined the Michigan
Department of State Police as a crime laboratory scientist and
state police investigator. During the course of my career, I have
testified as an expert witness in 504 court cases in the states of
Tennessee and Michigan. I am now retired.
In 1990, I relocated to my roots in Chattanooga and was hired to
manage the laboratory at a non-hazardous waste water treatment
plant in Chattanooga called Hydro-Vac Services, Inc. ("Hydro-Vac").
Within the first few months, I discovered hazardous waste was being
illegally dumped by Hydro-Vac. I blew the whistle and was fired in
August of 1990. Under the whistle blower's statute, I filed suit
in 1990, which was appealed to the U.S. Department of Labor where
in 1995 the Secretary of Labor, Dr. Robert Reich, ordered that I be
reinstated with full back pay and benefits.
Also in 1990, I filed federal and state lawsuits against the
dumper, William Foxworth as the owner of Hydro-Vac, and the State
of Tennessee Solid Waste Manager, Guy Moose ("Moose"). At the
onset of these lawsuits, however, I discovered the existence of a
very complex "machine" designed, among other things, to protect the
illegal dumping and to discredit me, which, in late 1992, resulted
in my lawyer being threatened with heavy sanctions to drop the case
and under that pressure, he withdrew as my legal counsel. I was
also ordered to pay sanctions due to Moose's perjury and was thrown
out of federal court. Then in early 1993, using my federal case as
the precedent, I was thrown out of state court.
To help support my family, in 1992 I was hired at Chattanooga State
Technical Community College ("CSTCC") to teach chemistry and
microbiology labs. After a year or so, certain faculty members,
including CSTCC President, Dr. James Catanzaro Sr., discovered my
attempts to stop the illegal dumping, and they conspired with the
defense attorneys and with Moose's office to illegally terminate my
teaching position. I filed a complaint with the Tennessee Human
Rights Office and received a "cause" recommendation against CSTCC.
I then proceeded to file suit against CSTCC. NOTE: It is important
to note here that Human Rights case worker, Alice Ford, was ordered
by the Nashville Office to change her "cause" recommendation to "no
cause." When she refused, the entire Human Rights Office in
Chattanooga was closed down. There were subsequent state senate
hearings to re-open the Chattanooga Office. At one point Senator
Ward Crutchfield, during a private conversation with Ms. Ford, told
her that "... Ernest Oliver is crazy."
The above background brings me to the point of this letter.
Dr. James Catanzaro Sr.:
During my investigation to prepare my case against CSTCC, I
discovered evidence linking CSTCC President Dr. James Catanzaro Sr.
("Catanzaro") with organized crime. On deposition, when I
confronted Catanzaro with this information, he perjured himself
four (4) times regarding illegal activities in Chicago, but he
admitted to pleading guilty to stealing public funds in Ohio.
In a recent case in the Hamilton County Chancery Court here in
Chattanooga, during his testimony on March 21, 2002, Catanzaro
perjured himself, under oath, denying that he plead guilty in Ohio.
His testimony caused the Plaintiff, a teacher who was fired from
CSTCC, not to have a fair hearing regarding her civil rights suit.
As proof of my allegations, enclosed is a 3-ring binder
containing the following:
- Exhibit 1. Federal Court records of the Triton Community
College incident in which Catanzaro was charged with making
contracts, without Trustee Board approval, with known members
of organized crime in Chicago (see Exhibit B for specific
charges).
- Exhibit 2. Newspaper articles which serve as background for
the allegations against Catanzaro's activities at community
colleges in Chicago and Ohio, and also in Chattanooga.
- Exhibit 3. A tape recording of Catanzaro admitting under oath
(during my deposition of him), and then denying under oath (in
Hamilton County Chancery Court on March 21, 2002) that he
plead guilty to stealing public funds in Ohio.
Tennessee Board of Regents:
It is also my understanding that Dr. Charles Manning, Chancellor of
the Tennessee Board of Regents, has been appointed to the same
lottery committee. At the front of the enclosed 3-ring binder is
my letter to Dr. Manning advising him of Catanzaro's past illegal
activities. Dr. Manning has chosen to ignore this information, as
evidenced by his response to me (also enclosed), which is a
whitewash replete with disinformation designed to protect
Catanzaro. It has also been brought to my attention that Dr.
Manning has knowingly kept this information about Catanzaro from at
least four (4) Regents including Regent Nobel Cody.
In Conclusion:
Governor Bredesen, I respectfully request that you conduct a
thorough investigation of Dr. James Catanzaro Sr., to include his
illegal activities in Chicago and Ohio, his perjury under oath, and
his activities at Chattanooga State Technical Community College for
the past 12 years.
He certainly should not hold a position on the lottery committee
and more importantly should not hold the position of president at
CSTCC. HOW IS IT THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS PLEAD GUILTY TO BREACHING
THE PUBLIC TRUST IS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO HOLD POSITIONS THAT
DIRECTLY AFFECT THE PUBLIC TRUST? HOW IS IT THAT SEXUAL HARASSMENT
OF WOMEN IS TOLERATED AT CSTCC AND OVER $100,000.00 OF TAXPAYERS
MONEY IS PAID FOR THIS OUTRAGE AND THE PERPETRATOR NOT FIRED!
I also request you conduct an investigation of Dr. Charles Manning,
Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, for his failure to
inform all Regents of Catanzaro's past illegal activities in
Chicago and Ohio, and for his whitewash of sexual harassment
charges and the six figure settlement at CSTCC under Catanzaro's
tenure.
Very truly yours,
Ernest A. Oliver
Retired Forensic Scientist and
State Police Investigator
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