[Vision2020] Lewiston Tribune: It's back to the shadows for the UI

[Saundra Lund]

Joe, I think this pretty clearly explains some of the concerns:

"Outside the glare of statewide publicity, the Williams case still matters.
This marks the first time the reforms devised after the Benoit-Bustamante
case were tested.  How are we to know if the system worked, where it failed
and what refinements are needed if the key players insist on hiding behind
closed doors?"

Because the issue wasn't covered by the Daily News, which is the paper I've
been subscribing to, I've certainly missed some facts, but if you read the
pdf I linked to, you'll see this:

"In a separate incident detailed in the police documents released to the
Tribune, UI Director of Human Rights, Access and Inclusion Carmen Suarez
requested extra police patrols at her residence in 2011 because she
investigated a sexual harassment claim against Williams.

"Williams has not directly threatened Suarez but Suarez is concerned because
Williams originally took responsibility for his actions but has now changed
his mind and is going to file a lawsuit against the university," according
to a police report from ***Aug. 29,2011.***"

For those who don't remember, Katy Benoit was tragically murdered by just
barely resigned UI professor Bustamante on 8/22/2011.  The above (from the
linked PDF file) indicates to me that there was ***at least*** one
apparently somewhat substantiated investigation into Williams during the
time Katy had filed a complaint, yet Williams apparently remained actively
employed and teaching for another full year before being placed on a
presumably paid leave for another four months or so before termination,
apparently following *at least* one MORE complaint and investigation.

Let me tell you:  if I was a UI female student, staff, or faculty (we don't
know the category of the person who complained in 2011) who filed a sexual
harassment complaint in early 2011 and it took ***18 months*** to address
the apparently somewhat substantiated complaint followed by at least one
*more* allegation of sexual harassment by *another person*, I'd be beyond
livid and feel incredibly betrayed, particularly given the UI's stunning
failure with respect to Bustamante.

And, I understand that hindsight is 20/20, but in this instance, there was
apparently enough evidence against Williams that he was to be terminated by
the UI, however belated -- or not -- that termination was.  As I think we
all know, terminating a presumably tenured professor at the UI isn't a
simple matter, and given the undisputed report that Williams was, in fact,
to be terminated, the UI's investigation apparently substantiated *at least*
one of the complainant's allegation(s).  There was apparently sufficient
fire accompanying  the smoke (more than one complaint of sexual harassment
by more than one student) to justify termination.

Of course, it's entirely possible that I've messed up the above sequence or
determinations or timeline or whatever.  We don't know *because* the UI had
returned to its standard CYA stance.

As things stand, I am deeply, deeply concerned that the UI learned nothing
from Katy Benoit's murder other than to use the money Katy's family provided
to fund completely ineffective "fairs" like the "Got Your Back" one before
Joe Wiederrick's tragic death.  Minimally, the UI certainly doesn't seem to
be walking the promised "transparency" walk.  I have a sick feeling in the
pit of my stomach that those promises following Katy's tragic death were
nothing more than smoke and mirrors to get out of the heat of public
scrutiny.



Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

It's a matter of taking the side if the weak against the strong, something
the best people have always done.
~ Harriet Beecher Stowe


-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Campbell [mailto:philosopher.joe at gmail.com] 
Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2013 10:33 AM
To: Saundra Lund
Cc: Vision 2020
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Lewiston Tribune: It's back to the shadows for the
UI

What is the unreleased information supposed to tell us?

The LT tried to contact the two persons who filed charges but they don't
want to talk. And among the information included in Williams'
personal file would apparently be information that might help someone
identify the people who made the initial charges. Isn't that why that
information is not allowed to be released? Williams is dead. But he left
behind at least one child. Maybe Williams no longer has a right to privacy
but what about his child(ren)?

Honestly, if I thought the information would be helpful I'd be on your side
but the man is dead and can no longer defend himself and the
(supposed) victims don't want to talk about it further. I see nothing but
speculation and innuendo arising from the release of this "information" and
I can't for the life of me see what good it would do.

On Sat, Mar 9, 2013 at 11:53 PM, Saundra Lund <v2020 at ssl1.fastmail.fm>
wrote:
> A friend shared the below editorial with me - I'm surprised and 
> disappointed there was no Daily News coverage  L
>
>
>
> What on earth is wrong with the UI?!  And, that question applies to 
> more than just the reprehensible and anemic response highlighted in 
> the editorial below.
>
>
>
> Since Kent Nelson was brought onboard, the UI has become incredibly 
> secretive, particularly with respect to public records requests.  
> Indeed, I'm perfectly comfortable saying that it has added extortion 
> to its bag of shady tricks.
>
>
>
> For those who depend on the Daily News - as I do - and don't subscribe 
> to the Lewiston Tribune, I found this article that provides more 
> detail about the Williams scandal than does the editorial:
>
> http://media.spokesman.com/documents/2013/03/2472_001.pdf
>
>
>
>
>
> Saundra
>
>
>
> It's back to the shadows for the UI
>
> Posted: Friday, March 8, 2013 12:00 am
>
> University of Idaho administrators act much differently when the 
> spotlight is glaring upon them.
>
> And the lights were blazingly hot during the summer of 2011, when 
> former UI psychology professor Ernesto Bustamante gunned down graduate 
> student Katy Benoit and subsequently took his own life in a Moscow motel
room.
>
> Chastened by criticism that its response to Benoit's appeals for help 
> had been inadequate, UI responded with a mixture of contrition and
transparency.
> Rules governing relationships between faculty and students were tightened.
> Sexual harassment allegations would be aggressively pursued.
>
> Most vital of all, the public would see for itself how well UI 
> conducted its affairs. In the Bustamante case, that meant UI would 
> join news organizations in seeking release of the late professor's
personnel file.
>
> Some of the details that emerged embarrassed UI, such as a student 
> evaluation that reported Bustamante tossed around the idea of killing 
> students while in the classroom. Nonetheless, it telegraphed the 
> institution's commitment to public disclosure.
>
> Now the lights are off.
>
> What's happened since?
>
> With the Benoit case still in the courts during 2012, the university 
> had been looking into claims that law professor Alan Fitzgerald 
> Williams sexually harassed at least two female students.
>
> Based upon almost a year of the Tribune's Joel Mills' reporting, 
> Moscow police reports and the university's own acknowledgements, we 
> know College of Law Associate Dean Benjamin Beard accompanied one of 
> the students to the police interview.
>
> When requested by Carmen Suarez, UI director of Human Rights, Access 
> and Inclusion, police provided her additional security.
>
> Williams was placed on administrative leave during the fall 2012 
> semester and was about to be terminated when he committed suicide at 
> Gig Harbor, Wash., on Dec. 30, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's
Office.
>
> As far as UI is concerned, that is all you need to know.
>
> Never mind the precedent of 2nd District Judge John Stegner's ruling 
> in opening Bustamante's files. Because Bustamante was deceased, 
> Stegner found he had no right to privacy. The judge then found a 
> compelling public interest in releasing the documents.
>
> What's different this time? Only the university's rejection of the 
> Lewiston Tribune's request to see Williams' personnel file. In 
> response to the second request - filed after Williams' death - UI said 
> the public interest in releasing the file was "nonexistent."
>
> Never mind a 1996 2nd District Court ruling declaring student 
> evaluations of faculty to be public documents. Says UI, the law school 
> holds itself apart from the rest of the university. But it is merely a 
> graduate school, an extension of the university, not some government 
> entity responsible for licensing lawyers. During the Benoit-Bustamante 
> episode, UI President Duane Nellis was ubiquitous, frequently granting 
> interviews assuring a statewide audience of his intent to remedy the
situation.
>
> Today, Nellis is nowhere to be found. He's on his way out the door to 
> lead Texas Tech in Lubbock. The voice of UI is lead attorney Kent Nelson.
>
> Outside the glare of statewide publicity, the Williams case still matters.
> This marks the first time the reforms devised after the 
> Benoit-Bustamante case were tested. How are we to know if the system 
> worked, where it failed and what refinements are needed if the key 
> players insist on hiding behind closed doors?
>
> What secrets do UI officials want retained within Williams' files and 
> student evaluations?
>
> And how genuine was this UI commitment to transparency in the first place?
> In all likelihood, the courts were going to order the university to 
> turn over Bustamante's records. UI could resist, get out of the way or 
> appear to cooperate.
>
> Under no such pressure this time, UI has retreated behind its moat of 
> secrecy. In the background, you can hear the faint echo of an 
> unmistakable
> phrase: "Trust us.
>
>
>
>
> =======================================================
>  List services made available by First Step Internet,  serving the 
> communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>                http://www.fsr.net
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com 
> =======================================================