Five years ago, this community considered whether there should be changes at the intersection of Main and Whiton, where there was then a stone gateway to the university. One now sees that the gateway is being moved back from near Main, farther up the hill from the street. Moving the gateway assures greater visibility nearer the road. It’s good…
University
City, School District, University, Waste Digesters, WGTB, WHEN GREEN TURNS BROWN
Policy Topics for the Fall
by JOHN ADAMS •
I last wrote in February about local policy topics that I thought were interesting. See, Policy Topics for the Spring and before that Four Public Topics for the Fall (2014). In February, these were my selections: Whitewater School Budget Cuts, the Whitewater’s School Board Election, the UW-Whitewater’s Budget, UW-Whitewater’s Social Relations, and the City of…
City, University
7,000 and 7,622
by JOHN ADAMS •
Welcome signs in Whitewater list the city’s population as 14,622. That’s right, give or take a small number since the signs were last updated. When thinking about Whitewater, however, one can’t reasonably think of a homogeneous population of 14,622. We’re a more diverse city than that, with demographics revealing a multi-ethnic and vocationally-split community. Of…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Law, University
Former Coach Tim Fader Files Notice of Intent to Sue UW-Whitewater Officials
by JOHN ADAMS •
WISC-TV 3, Channel 3000, now reports on Fader’s Notice of Claim, in a story published online this evening:
Former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling coach has notified the state’s attorney general of his intent to sue a number of officials at the university for “improperly” dismissing him from his position and for continuing to stymie his efforts to find work.
Tim Fader failed a “Notice of Claim” this week, alleging that he was not renewed as the school’s wrestling coach in the summer of 2014 because he reported an alleged sexual assault committed by one of his recruits earlier last year directly to Whitewater Police and not to his supervisors on campus, per university policy. Fader asserts he’s been made a “scapegoat” because his situation arose shortly after the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education announced UW-W was one of 55 schools nationwide being investigated for how it handled sexual assault or harassment allegations
(Our law requires that one file a notice of intent to sue any state officials 60 days before legal action can begin. I have embedded the Notice of Claim below, so that one may read it in full.)
Attorney Stan Davis, a former UW System Regent, represents Fader. Attorney Davis observes that when Fader spoke to the police, he prevented UW-Whitewater’s officials from crafting a description of events at a time, and a pace, of their own choosing:
“He was the Division 3 Wrestling Coach of the Year and he is now unable to find a job,” said Fader’s lawyer, Stan Davis, a former UW System Regent. “It seems as though he’s being punished here for not giving the University the opportunity to decide how they were going to address, spin, handle this matter and that’s problematic.”
See, Former Coach Takes Step to Sue UW-Whitewater Officials @ Channel 3000.
Needless to say, in each case there may be people who are injured. That matters most, of course. Nearly as important as handling present injuries is inhibiting future victims or third-parties from reporting allegations for fear of doing so.
Attorney Davis sees this fundamental truth clearly:
His lawyer believes the impact Fader’s jobless situation could have on campuses throughout the state is why this remains so important.
“The chilling effect this could have on other faculty members who may be afraid to go to the police now if they become aware of something because Tim went to the police and he ends up losing his job,” Davis said. “It suggests (UW-W) didn’t want an outside agency to be aware of this until they decided what, if anything, they were going to do about it.
“Making a scapegoat of one person who actually handled the situation the way I think most people would have… does not do anything to help address this problem in the future.”
In fact, it’s hard to believe that reasonable people, aware of the importance of encouraging reporting, and genuinely believing in open reporting would not see as much.
I’ll have updates as this matter develops.
I would encourage readers to donate to the It’s On Us campaign, and to support these and other efforts to prevent sexual violence.
Those who have experienced sexual assault will find resources of support at www.notalone.com.
See, below, NOTICE OF CLAIM AND CLAIM PURSUANT TO 893.82, WIS. STATS:
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Post updated 7.2.15 with video interview.
Culture, Local Government, Politics, University
The Remains of the Day
by JOHN ADAMS •
If one would like to see the present condition and future prospects of Whitewater’s insiders, there are no better accounts (truly) than two stories from the Daily Union: UW-Whitewater chancellor session held @ http://www.dailyunion.com/news/article_f042575e-a63a-11e4-bcd8-939679ffcc09.html Whitewater bids fond farewell to Telfer @ http://www.dailyunion.com/news/article_68cb8454-1c18-11e5-8e44-a3bfa315d78f.html. Each story is purportedly about UW-Whitewater’s chancellor (the search for a new one,…
CDA, City, Corporate Welfare, Development, Gluttony, Government Spending, Local Government, Public Relations, University, WEDC
Another Six-Figure WEDC Loan to an Unworthy Applicant
by JOHN ADAMS •
View image | gettyimages.com Across the state, revelation after revelation shows that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has been a mistake, a wasteful political endeavor contrary to sound economics. Locally, support for the WEDC, from Whitewater’s Community Development Authority, Chancellor Richard Telfer, City Manager Cameron Clapper, etc., shows not only that they’re ignorant of sound…
University
Beverly Kopper Selected as UW-Whitewater Chancellor
by JOHN ADAMS •
As anyone might have expected. So predictable, in fact, it would have been silly to expect another choice: this was a process of selection from among a very weak field, and thereby a design that would lead to one probable, internal selection. (The external candidates might have been found at Greyhound bus terminals or all-night…
CDA, Corporate Welfare, Government Spending, Local Government, University, WEDC
Another WEDC Audit Failure
by JOHN ADAMS •
Appearing below, you’ll see a full, 116-page audit of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. It shows the WEDC’s gross negligence; it’s the second to show the WEDC’s many failures (including deficiencies persisting from audit to audit). (For a link to the prior audit, see WEDC Claims Success by Writing Off Bad Loans.) For each and…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Government Spending, Official Misconduct, University
Budget Problems as a Mask for Internal Problems
by JOHN ADAMS •
There are significant shortfalls for K-12 funding and state funding for the UW System. These shortfalls involve hundreds of millions, and that alters the landscape at public institutions (at some more than others). Still, It won’t be true, because it cannot be true, that every problem one might encounter will be the consequence of fiscal…
City, Corporate Welfare, Economy, Free Markets, Government Spending, Local Government, Marketing, Poverty, University, WEDC, Wisconsin
Wisconsin on Pace for Most Layoff Notifications Since WEDC Created
by JOHN ADAMS •
WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports Now I thought, as it’s what I have heard again, again, and again, that the WEDC was the Laser-Focused Semi-Private Job Creator of Wisconsin™. How odd, then, to read that since the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s inception, Wisconsin is on pace for more job layoffs than…
City, Culture, Local Government, School District, University
The Last Inside Accounts
by JOHN ADAMS •
America has a continent, Wisconsin a vast expanse, and Whitewater nine beautiful square miles. For Whitewater’s waning top-tier notables, however, there’s no more area than an arm’s length among a few dozen men and women. When even one of them steps aside for the bathroom, the remaining universe for the others shrinks by a percent…
School District, University
Whitewater YES is Right, for Now
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over at the Whitewater YES for Education Facebook page, they’ve a post describing the WUSD budget proposal in supportive terms. Here’s part of what they have to say: ….The school board reviewed the District Leadership Team’s (DLT) program and staffing proposal at the April 20 board study session. The DLT created a proposal that aligned…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Culture, Local Government, Politics, University
The Better Way to Address Sexual Violence on Campus
by JOHN ADAMS •
Neil Heinen is the editorial director of WISC-TV in Madison. I have little idea of his politics; we’ve never met. I do know, however, that his station’s position on how universities should address allegations of sexual assault is better – ethically and practically – than the approach that UW-Whitewater has adopted. Heinen is entirely right:…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Crime, Misconduct, University
How UW-Whitewater Treated a Sexual Assault Victim
by JOHN ADAMS •
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…