Rothman

        When the conference door closes on people on both sides of the debate about racial profiling by Cincinnati police, mediator Jay Rothman and his ARIA Group are not likely to align with either side.

        Nor are Mr. Rothman and his staff mediators likely to let emotions simmer for very long as they seek a solution.

        “The bottom line is, I think they're qualified and capable,” said Ike Williams, a Columbia, S.C., resident who a year ago found himself in a similar setting with Mr. Rothman when the topic was the Confederate flag flying above the statehouse.

        “The question is whether the city of Cincinnati is prepared to be straightforward and honest - the police department and community leadership on both sides.”

        In the session mediated by Mr. Rothman, Mr. Williams, a 55-year-old African-American, found himself on the opposite side of the Confederate flag debate with Michael Givens, a resident of Beaufort, S.C., who saw heritage, not racism, in the flag.

        For Mr. Givens, the discussion that was moderated that day by Mr. Rothman was generally free of heated emotions - though people on both sides of the issue had strong feelings.

        “What was effective about him was that he was right down the middle of the road,” Mr. Givens said. “He was completely neutral and didn't show any sign of being on one side or the other.”

        The strategy of the session was simple enough, Mr. Givens said.

        “Mr. Rothman laid down the rules, said that what usually took three days was going to happen in one afternoon and that we had to cut to the chase,” Mr. Givens said.

        Participants wrote their thoughts on paper, people read them and responded, and then came role-playing. “He didn't allow us to get angry,” Mr. Givens said.

        Mr. Williams said that not much was solved - and that's about the only thing that Mr. Givens and Mr. Williams would agree upon.

        “(ARIA) were good listeners,” Mr. Williams said. “And there's no question they were skilled, experienced and were not cutting their eye teeth.

        “I do know this much - if the people of Cincinnati are doing this, then they're headed in the right direction.”

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