Spokesmen for Mr. Cheek and the university did not return calls today.

Republican leaders said Mr. Cheek had asked the Republican chairman to join the board.

Mr. Cheek led the bar association task force on corporate responsibility that proposed the changes.

Does the school need a managerial shakeup after 20 years under Mr. Cheek?

Another problem, Mr. Cheek said, is that some teachers do not understand cultural differences.

"The bill is liability-neutral, although it will certainly have an impact on the number of claims brought," Mr. Cheeks said.

"Our policy on confidentiality has always been taken seriously, and if the allegations are true, it is a very real concern," Mr. Cheek said.

Like Mr. Cheek, the other principals return from last year's staging.

That was because Mr. Cheek had merely disappeared and had not been convicted.

Mr. Cheek, however, must have had his mind on other problems.