Four state legislators are calling for a new 'independent' investigation into the Paul Barrows controversy following UW System President Kevin Reilly's acknowledgement Saturday that he was aware of the reasons for Barrows' sick leave.
State representatives Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater, Robin Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, and Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, took issue with the Steingass report, a summary of the investigation the university conducted.
They alleged the report, released in September, was inadequate because it did not contain anything about Reilly's knowledge of Barrows' sick leave.
'President Reilly and the other UW officials led the public to believe that the Steingass Report was a complete review of the scandal. Reilly knew this was false because his discussion with Chancellor Wiley failed to make it into the report,' Suder said in a release. 'Reilly's admission now makes it clear that the Steingass Report may be flawed, since it doesn't contain all the relevant facts.'
David Walsh, president of UW System Board of Regents, said it comes as no surprise that Reilly was monitoring the Barrows case.
He said this fact alone does not warrant a new investigation and does not make the Steingass Report incomplete.
Walsh added that representatives were playing with Reilly's words and called the representatives' tactics an effort to 'throw as much as you can on the wall and see what sticks.'
State rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said he believes a new investigation would be a waste of tax dollars and that the Legislature should focus on more important issues such as the rising cost of tuition.
'Rep. Kreibich and Rep. Nass have been out to find any excuse to beat up the university and grab a headline,' Black said. 'What they are really trying to do is divert attention from the fact that they have voted to slash funding for the university and increase tuition.'
UW System Board of Regents spokesperson Doug Bradley said everyone has the right to question the investigation and that it is the regents' obligation to provide answers. However, he said he hopes there is a point where the answers about one employee and one incident will be satisfactory and allow the university to move on.
'I think any time the university mishandles a personnel situation or receives criticism for it, it affects our credibility, but with 33,000 employees, these things are going to happen,' Walsh said. 'I would hope the Legislature would spend a little more time looking at some of the most fundamental issues and crises facing us.'
