MPA Calls for AG Investigation of Discrimination and Conflicts of Interest by WI Board of Regents

An examination to document violations of the law and possible penalties in 2010-2011 UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Search and Deans

Press Release
April 18, 2011

MILWAUKEE – Mary Glass, Chair/CEO, Milwaukee Professionals Association, is asking the office of Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen to determine whether WI Board of Regents violated oath of office and laws in the Chancellor Search for the 8th leader of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee by failing to conduct a “fair” search – discrimination of African American and other People of Color; how Board of Regents, Board of Regent 5-member committee and UW-Milwaukee search committee refused to respond and/or respond timely and reasonable for decision making to “public information” inquiries, allowing conflict of interests, misled public with acts of vote dilution – refused to hold additional listening sessions for neighborhood-level listening/input meetings, failure to keep cogent minutes for “verification process”, failure to include urban “neighborhood-level” stakeholders in finalists campus dinner and reception, composition of the Search and Screen Committee for UW-M failed to include neighborhood-business owners and residential taxpayers, un-inclusive finalists schedule sent the wrong signal, composition of the Search and Screen Committee for UW-M failed to include diversity in race, finalists meetings for community held “only” during work day (1:30pm-2:30pm), failure to provide UW-M website video viewing as an option for those who could not come – even though taping was made of each finalists, disadvantage of outside finalists vs. bias 6-month lobbying of interim chancellor; and, refusal to provide adjustment for voters after abrupt withdrawal of finalists – Dr. David Belcher.

The complaint includes the full board of regents, the 5-member board of regents UW-Milwaukee Chancellor committee and 25-member UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Search Committee.

“The City of Milwaukee, majority People of Color and the Work-Challenged, is trapped in Enduring Concentrated Poverty primarily due to decades of discriminatory practices that include exclusions from leadership planning, decision making and training relative to education and employment attainment”, as well as conflicts of interest and cronyism by those in power that undermines the confidence of Milwaukeeans”, said Glass. The city is plagued by regular studies and reports of 45% or more high unemployment and low scores of education. The urban city of Milwaukee has three public school systems. “We are also recommending that the Attorney General review whether there should be perjury charges relative to Code of Ethics; and, to share suggestions for to prevent this from happening again”.

Additional contact will be sent to: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), federal and state legislators, Governor Scott Walker and the WI Accountability Board.

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