University Slow on Athletics Transparency Records Request Stalls
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est, J BBBBI __BB_I THE nBr "^»-» POST Apn7 30, 2012 THE STUDENT-RUN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Issue 28, Volume $6 is ; ; .JiH ^SBn jL^^i^^S* Featured |Baseballrrecap page 6 | Blrf Chalk it up $5,500 clean-up cost and Personnel foul seven citations issued By Clair Sprenger Pc9e?r leadership within athletics alleged cause of athletic directors resignation Staff Writer [email protected] By Jeremy Lubus and Zack Garhart Sports Editor and Staff Writer Police issued citations to seven [email protected] Allied Student Voice officers for spray-chalking ASV's logo on cam UW-Milwaukee administrators were pus as part of their election campaign. scrambling Monday morning following for The university estimates the clean mer Athletic Director Rick Costello's deci up costs at $5,500, and each citation sion to resign late Sunday night. the officers issued was for $267. Vice Chancellor of Media Relations Officers of ASV said they followed Tom Luljak strongly urged department rules and took all the necessary pre members not to talk to the press about the cautions by buying spray-chalk that resignation with some anonymous sources was advertised as easily washing away. expressing fear of retribution if they did. The ASV officers say they consider the in resignation took place during an investiga cident a misunderstanding. Police say tion of the department conducted by third- the chalking is still vandalism, even party company Iconic. if the spray-chalk brand promised to Rick Costello poses for a photo in September with Speaker of the Senate Rick Banks (middle) and Luljak did not say who is taking over wash off. LeVar Ridgeway, Assistant Athletic Director - Marketing. the position of interim athletics director, Police are using UW System but Student Association Vice President Sana the matter, said that Costello's handling of campus. "It's always been about blood and "I have just heard that Costello made (UWS) Chapter 18 policy banning Khan said that Vice Chancellor of Student player complaints against former men's soc flesh and there are a lot of gaps in the blood promises coming into this position, which vandalism on campus to issue the Affairs Michael Laliberte is currently in cer coach Chris Whalley was the last straw and flesh these days." was a year ago, and he has yet to fulfill any citations. charge of the department. for UWM administration. Costello was hired in December 2010 of them," a former basketball player said. The UWM Center for Student Despite the media blackout, informa Another former employee said that and earned a yearly salary of $201,000. He "He was supposed to be a fundraising guy, Involvement created an extension of tion has begun to leak out about the trou Costello was in over his head and was sim was the third athletic director within a four and the athletic department has lost money that, limiting spray-chalking. The bling circumstances enveloping the sports ply not a good fit for the university. year span. instead of gained it." limits require student organizations program at UWM. "Sports at UWM have never been about Sources alleged that Costello's resigna The athletic department has had a messy to spray-chalk with brands that "eas A former athletics department em bricks and mortar" the source said, referring tion followed almost a year of mismanage See FOUL page 7 ily dissipate in the rain" and only ployee, who asked for anonymity discussing to CostellCostello'o ss push for a new sports arena on ment and fiscalfiscal instability. on "walking surfaces with outdoor exposure." Although ASV Campaign University slow on athletics transparency Manager Michael Ludwig said police officially cited the students for vio lating Chapter 18, not CSI's exten sion, police quoted the extension over Records request stalls; employees fear talkingemai l as further justification for the citations. By Steve Garrison vironment within the athletics department. sumption of complete public access."' that information regarding a disciplinary in- ASV spray-chalkers used the News Editor Emails sent or received by Costello re "The denial of public access generally is vestigation is being requested for release. That brand Aervoe, which claims to "natu [email protected] garding former men's soccer coach Chris contrary to the public interest, and only in an employee then has 10 days to seek a court rally disappear with water, traffic or Whalley and assistant coach Ben Shepherd, exceptional case may access be denied," reads injunction barring the information's release. other abrasions but will remain visible UW-Milwaukee has kept a tight lid on in requested by the Post on March 6 under statute 19.31. Watson said some emails may not be sub for up to 3 weeks." formation regarding former Athletic Director Wisconsin's public records law, have also not The UWM Post first sent a formal re ject to notice, but on April 19 said that a virus Police issued citations on April Rick Costello's departure late Sunday night. been received. quest to Watson on March 6, requesting all had left her without a computer and that she 12, two days before it first rained in Out of eighteen athletic department em Although the statutes governing public of Costello's emails from November 2011 had still not completed the review process. April and about a week after con ployees contacted by the UWM Post to dis records do not specify a specific timeframe for and February 2012 that mentioned Whalley On April 23, the UWM Post sent a final fronting campaigners while they were cuss Costello's resignation, not a single indi compliance, the Department of Justice rec or Shepherd, including attachments. Watson notice to Watson, stating that the timeframe chalking. vidual was willing to speak on what was anon ommends fulfilling simple requests within 10 confirmed receiving the request that same day. had long passed during which a request could Ludwig and ASV presidential ymously referred to by one employee as, "the business days. On March 23, she said via email that the be complied with and a complaint would be candidate Daniel Laughland, among worst kept secret in the athletics department." Amy Watson, UWM's records custodian, request would incur a $69 to $139 processing filed with the DOJ if the records were not re three or four other witnesses, said Several employees who were willing to said the information could not be provided fee, based on the time it would take Costello ceived within three days. they were chalking the big ASV logo speak on the record asked not to be named for sooner because an unprecedented number of to gather all the pertinent emails and Watson Watson said that she was not intentionally in Spaights Plaza when several po fear of losing their job. requests have been submitted this semester to redact sensitive information. delaying the response. She said she had been lice surrounded them with vehicles, All questions about Costello's resignation and the legal complexity of the request. The request was narrowed down on March inundated with "an unusually high number assuming they were using permanent were referred to Vice Chancellor of University Speaker of the Senate Rick Banks, who 25 to mitigate the costs. The Post asked for of requests" and did not receive emails from paint. Relations Tom Luljak, who has spearheaded has worked closely with the athletics depart emails from November but only the last week Costello until April 5. Independent Election Commissioner the university's response to the crisis. ment, has also requested the climate survey. of February, a request Watson said incurred Furthermore, she said the virus left her Anthony DeWees, Laughland and "They want to just make sure all infor As of press time, Banks' has received neither no cost on April 3. without her computer, where her working files Ludwig said that police confiscated the mation is coming out the university's com the survey nor acknowledgment that his re On April 6, Watson said she received the are kept, and the request raised "complex re spray-chalk, took notes and then left the munications department," Assistant Sports quest was accepted. emails from Costello and anticipated the re cord law issues." scene. The police report thatled to citations Information Director Kevin Conway said. According to Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31-19.39, view process would be finished the next week. On April 26, Watson released two emails did not make note of this conversation. Luljak said he could not provide answers "all persons are entitled to the greatest possible The Post requested an update on the process and one attachment, none pertinent to the Ludwig said police called him to several questions submitted by the UWM information regarding the affairs of govern on April 12, and Watson said she was not athletics department investigation, and said twice to talk about the citations and Post, because of the university's policy regard ment and the official acts of those officers and finished with the review process and that she, she would need to provide notice to Whalley to issue a clean-up deadline on the day ing personnel matters. employees who represent them." "may be required to provide statutory notice to before the rest of the emails could be released, the citations were issued. the subject of the emails as required by Wis. as per Wis. Stat. 19.356. He also refused to discuss the results of a The law's finer aspects - what constitutes "The group was afforded the climate survey conducted by third-party com a record, which is an authority, who is a re Stat. 19.356(2)(a)(l)." Only after 12 days have passed will she pany Iconic, which a former athletic depart quester - are nuanced, but the law is meant According to Wis.