Former vice president of Bermuda College Dr. Donald Peters has been ostracised from his US university after making racist claims in The Royal Gazette.

The controversial academic, who had his contract at Bermuda College brought to an early end in the summer of 2000, has come under fire from Plattsburgh State University for speaking out in the media about alleged racism from some members of faculty.

Due to his comments in the press, the college has now publicly rejected his racism claims and said all ties with him will be severed.

No members of staff at the college backed Dr. Peters' claims of racism.

The Royal Gazette spoke to Dr. Peters last week after he had reportedly resigned from his post as vice president of student affairs at Plattsburgh following incidents among some of his colleagues, which he claimed were racially motivated.

He said both himself and president Dr. Horace Judson were the only two black administrators at the college and had repeatedly come in for attacks from five racist staff members.

Dr. Peters held a press conference in Plattsburgh to go public with his claims, but trouble really flared last week after he spoke to The Royal Gazette.

Dr. Judson would not speak to the media about the claims, but after the story appeared in Bermuda last Wednesday, he felt compelled to release a statement about Dr. Peters' exit to The Press-Republican newspaper in Plattsburgh.

Dr. Judson said: "On May 14, Dr. Donald Peters unfortunately made allegations of racism against five faculty members. Dr. Peters did not have any proof to back up his allegations.

"While the behaviour of some individuals may be considered offensive, insulting and unprofessional, such behaviour is not necessarily synonymous with racism.

"I have worked with these faculty members, and although we may disagree on certain campus issues, I reject assertions that they, or the college's faculty, harbour racist attitudes.

"Regrettably, the allegations by Dr. Peters were aired in the media prior to commencement. There is a process in place for all members of the campus, including Dr. Peters, to discuss their concerns. He failed to follow that process."

Dr. Judson said, as a result of the event, he had requested Dr. Peters' resignation on May 15.

Dr. Judson added: "I was shocked and dismayed to learn of additional inappropriate and outrageous statements by Dr. Peters that appeared in an out-of-state newspaper on Wednesday, May 22.

"It is inexplicable and tragic that he has decided to make these statements.

"As a result of his most recent action, and effective immediately, Dr. Peters has no further relationship with Plattsburgh State in any capacity.

"Over the past two years, Dr. Peters has made important contributions to the campus. He had strengthened the student affairs organisation and its functions. He had developed an enrolment management plan for the campus, and he has played an important role in increasing out-of-state and international student enrolment.

"Unfortunately, Dr. Peters' behaviour the past week overshadows his contributions to the campus and, as a result, made these decisions necessary."

Dr. Peters was not available for comment last night. But he said to The Royal Gazette last week that he felt it was time the lid was raised on the issue of racism at the college.

He said he felt ashamed to be at Plattsburgh and felt his resignation had been "symbolic".

He said: "I have not yet called the international press because I'm waiting to see if I get paid or not.

"I would do it all again. I don't believe I have done anything wrong. The president has a lot of tolerance, but I won't take any of this crap.

"I have tried to do my best, but trouble follows me where ever I go."

The controversy in Plattsburgh is an echo of similar incidents at previous colleges Dr. Peters has worked at.

While at Bermuda College in 1999, he is reported to have called white American colleague Barbara Green a racist and white supremacist over a revamp of the administration structure.

He was given a "severe reprimand" by the college board and forced to apologise for the claims, which had been made in a memo that was circulated to selected staff at the college.

And Dr. Peters was then accused of sexual and racial discrimination after passing over a senior lecturer while making an appointment for a top job at Bermuda College.

As a result, Canadian-born physicist Tara Soares was awarded $100,000 last year by the board in an out-of-court settlement after she alleged wrong-doing in the way the position had been filled.

Dr. Peters was later given an $85,000 pay-off to leave his post six months before the end of his contract.

But Dr. Peters was also asked to resign from Wright State University in 1996 after facing conflict of interest charges after he allegedly had subordinates hire two of his friends. The matter was dropped when he agreed to resign.

Dr. Peters is later said to have referred to the school as White State University and said he had been charged because the minority president who hired him was under attack from a group of people.