States Archives - Page 2 of 28 - Checks and Balances Project

Penn State Professor O’Neill Hired by Hotel Lobby for Pay-to-Play Research

2017-04-18

New documents uncovered by Checks and Balances Project show that Penn State Professor John W. O’Neill has peddled hotel-industry talking points as scholarship while failing to disclose his longstanding, commercial relationships.

NYC Council Member Helen Rosenthal Paid for Toronto Travel to Meet with Fairbnb

2017-04-14

Based on communications we had with the president of UNITE HERE Local 75 who serves as the chair of Fairbnb.ca Coalition, we learned Ms. Rosenthal paid for her own travel to share her experiences and ideas about homesharing with Fairbnb and the citizens of Toronto.

Penn State Circles the Wagons Around Professor O’Neill

2017-04-12

We received a letter from Vice President of Research Neil Sharkey last Thursday informing us that Professor O’Neill has been found in compliance with Penn State policy. Dr. Sharkey’s terse reply leaves many basic questions unanswered.

Inquiries to New York Union Leader Peter Ward Go Unanswered

2017-03-15

We emailed a letter directly to Mr. Ward asking about these inconsistencies, but received no reply. On March 10, we sent the letter again and followed up by phone with Mr. Ward’s executive assistant to make sure the letter was not overlooked.

Did Dean Crouter Ignore Penn State Hiring Policy to Anoint Professor O’Neill?

2017-02-28

Following up on an anonymous tip we received last December, Checks and Balances Project took a harder look at the role that Dr. Ann C. Crouter, dean of Penn State’s College of Health and Human Services, may have played in Professor John O’Neill’s ascension to director of the School of Hospitality Management (SHM).

Anonymous Tip from Penn State: “There is a bigger story here.”

2017-01-23

In late December, we received an anonymous tip in the mail from a reader about our ongoing inquiry into possible ethics violations by Penn State Professor John W. O’Neill of the School of Hospitality Management, who has produced research highly favorable to the hotel lobby..

Hotel Union Leader’s Database Undercuts Claim of Organizing Success

2017-01-13

Despite the hotel building boom and surging tourism in New York City, especially outside of Manhattan, Ward has emerged as the most prominent leader of efforts to block the growth of home sharing, an affordable, sustainable form of lodging.

Unraveling Penn State’s Confusing Ethics Oversight

2017-01-9

Questions About Professor’s Ties to Hotel Lobby Uncover an Ethics Labyrinth Since October of last year, we’ve been reporting on the potential ethics violations of Professor John W. O’Neill of Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management (SHM). He appears to be operating a private consulting practice on campus, using the University’s prestige to increase the… Read more »

Who Is Investigating Questions about Professor O’Neill’s Ethics?

2016-12-29

Our reporting has found strong evidence indicating Penn State Professor John W. O’Neill is using his position at the School of Hospitality Management to bolster his consulting practice and credibility of his hotel lobby-funded research. If true, this would violate the university’s ethics standards. So, we were encouraged to learn via a Dec. 17 Centre Daily Times… Read more »

Questions About Penn State Professor O’Neill Referred to Ethics Office

2016-12-19

As state support for universities drops, there is a growing trend of corporate support in the form of specially designated departments, professorships, etc., often with alarming consequences.