Listening to the Penn State board of trustees meeting on Sunday was enlightening, and one issue became very clear: Richard Edelman, the public relations consultant hired by the university, must be dismissed.

This man is not a board member or administrator. Yet he arrogantly lectured the board on its need to move forward and accept the NCAA sanctions, whether appropriate or not.

The role of a university is to seek truth. To blindly or carelessly accept an opinion or a decision does not serve the long-term best interest of the university. Edelman made it clear that he would prefer to see the board unified. Most would agree that healthy debate on any issue is likely to result in a better course of action.

Many headlines across Pennsylvania on Monday suggested that the board supported the NCAA sanctions. That was not at all the case, which shows another failure of the public relations team to put forth an accurate message.

Edelman has chosen to follow a misguided agenda that has failed the best interests of the university. His path has further alienated alumni, fostered greater hatred of the board and hastened disdain for the administration.

It is time for the university to hire someone who will put the best face on its decisions rather than someone who tries to tell it what to do.

Maria Hileman Boalsburg