Donald Trump insists that he uses ‘the best words‘ and that he will only hire ‘the best people.’ Turns out, some of those best people have found the best words not of their own expression, nor even of Trump’s, but of third parties from whom they have liberally plagiarized: Monica Crowley, President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s pick…
Misconduct
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Misconduct, Negligence, Press, University, UW System
The Sketchy – But Revealing – UW-Whitewater Dormitory Stories
by JOHN ADAMS • • 3 Comments
The big UW-Whitewater story last week wasn’t about a dormitory, but about a lawsuit against former Chancellor Telfer and current Athletic Director Amy Edmonds. The dormitory stories are at best evidence of administrative incompetence, at worst evidence of a manipulated story (albeit ham-handedly). They also, ironically, offer a dark motivation for the repeated actions of UW-Whitewater…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Law, Misconduct, University, UW System
Long Miles Ahead
by JOHN ADAMS • • 6 Comments
I posted yesterday on the federal lawsuit filed against former Chancellor Richard Telfer and current Athletic Director Amy Edmonds. See, Former Coach Fader Files Federal Lawsuit Against UW-Whitewater Officials. One should not expect a quick resolution to the many issues the lawsuit raises, of mistreatment of honest employees & disregard for assault survivors. On the contrary,…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Law, Misconduct, University, UW System
Former Coach Fader Files Federal Lawsuit Against UW-Whitewater Officials
by JOHN ADAMS • • 3 Comments
At Channel 3000, investigative reporter Adam Schrager reports on a federal lawsuit that former Coach Timothy Fader has filed against UW-Whitewater officials, in their individual capacities. (I had promised readers that I would continue to follow this story, and will continue to do so as the case unfolds.) Both current Athletic Director Amy Edmonds and…
City, Culture, Misconduct, University
The Claims of Ongoing Incidents on Campus (Updates)
by JOHN ADAMS • • 2 Comments
Update, Thursday afternoon, 2:30 PM. UW-Whitewater officials are now contending that a photo with students in blackface had a benign meaning. See, Image spurs concerns about race at UW-Whitewater @ Channel 3000. From that story: “Kopper later said the students said they just had a facial and took a picture. She said the students did not…
Business, Ethics, Misconduct
Ackman’s Right About Herbalife
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital, has waged a long campaign against Herbalife (in which he has a publicly-disclosed short position, that is, a bet against Herbalife’s future). Ackman’s a capitalist, activist, and philanthropist. (His politics are not mine – he recently urged Michael Bloomberg to run for president; Bloomberg is no libertarian.) In…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Misconduct, Public Relations, University
About That Accreditation at UW-Whitewater…
by JOHN ADAMS • • 4 Comments
Last week, UW-Whitewater’s administration announced, in oddly grand terms, the results of an accreditation review from the HLC. (That would be the ‘Higher Learning Commission,’ one of dozens of self-designated accrediting organizations of the same ilk.) One reads that the accreditation was ‘a weighty stamp of approval’ of our campus administration’s actions. The accreditation was nothing of…
City, Misconduct, Politics
About Extraordinary Accounts
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
City, Misconduct, School District, University
An Open Note to Leaders of the Municipal Government, the School District, and UW-Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS • • 2 Comments
Along the lines of listing key topics (see the right sidebar at FREE WHITEWATER for a list of particular areas of concern), it’s worth being clear that important issues in one part of the city should not be ignored in other parts. An Open Note to Leaders of Government, the School District, and UW-Whitewater: misconduct of officials…
Law, Misconduct, Negligence, Politics
The Four-Dog Defense
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
View image | gettyimages.com Readers familiar with organizational or political excuse-making are likely familiar with the four-dog defense. The provenance of the defense is uncertain, but Acronym Required describes its four points nicely, citing a story from the St. Petersburg Times: First of all, I don’t have a dog. And if I had a dog, it doesn’t bite. And…
Corporate Welfare, Government Spending, Misconduct, WEDC
Reed Hall’s Inauspicious Choices
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Reed Hall, who ‘boldly,’ ‘innovatively’ uses the private title of CEO for an organization that runs on public money, has written two defenses to his agency’s latest audit fiasco. The first of those appears as a few platitudinous paragraphs online (‘WEDC takes bold, innovative approach to economic development,’ subscription req’d, and the second as a…
Misconduct, Sports
Stumbling Drunk Austrian Mascot
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Health, Misconduct
The Tragedy of Dr. Oz
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Dr. Mehmet Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon and vice chairman of the surgery department at Columbia University’s medical school. Most people know him, sadly, as a celebrity, television star, or as a promoter of quack remedies. Other prominent physicians across America, at leading institutions, have had enough of the embarrassment that Oz’s sales pitches are…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Crime, Misconduct, University
How UW-Whitewater Treated a Sexual Assault Victim
by JOHN ADAMS • • 3 Comments
I’ve written before about the handling of sexual assault complaints nationwide and at UW-Whitewater. The more one reads on the matter, the more concerned one becomes, both generally and locally. There’s a new and troubling story about how UW-Whitewater handled an assault victim’s Title IX assault complaint at WISC-TV. In the report, entitled, Graduate speaks…