Former Vice Chancellor Paul Barrows seeks to appeal his case before the UW-Madison Academic Staff Appeals Committee, according to his attorney, Lester Pines. Barrows claims the university punished him unfairly following the discovery of his relationship with a graduate student in November 2004.
Separately, Barrows is currently suing Chancellor John Wiley and former Dean of Students Luoluo Hong for violating his civil rights by falsely accusing him of sexual harassment, then instructing him to take leaves paid for through accrued sick and vacation days.
All UW-Madison academic staff members have the option to appeal a disciplinary action taken against them in a process outlined in the Academic Staff Policies and Procedures. This process usually-but not always-ends up with either a hearing or a review by the ASAC.
If Barrows' appeal goes before the ASAC, a five-person panel will rule on whether the university took appropriate action.
A key aspect of the hearing, according to Steve Lund, director of the Academic Personnel Office, will be whether Barrows can prove the discipline he received resulted in a loss of pay.
\The committee will hold either a review or a hearing, depending on the type of case,"" Lund said.
Although Barrows technically received only a letter of reprimand, Barrows could attempt to prove that the use of sick days during his leave of absence constitutes a loss of pay.
""The loss of pay is significant,"" Lund said. ""Salary is considered to be a property right under the Constitution, so it has a higher level of appeal and due process.""
If Barrows can prove he lost pay, he will receive a full hearing before the ASAC and will be able to present witness testimony. If not, the proceedings will be limited to a review by the ASAC based primarily on paper documents.
""We hope that Dr. Barrows will be exonerated from these various allegations against him,"" Pines said.
