MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The University of Wisconsin System may start sharing information about employees accused of sexual harassment with new employers.
The proposal comes amid news UW-Stevens Point didn’t disclose a sexual harassment complaint to UW-Eau Claire before a former administrator was hired there, the Wisconsin State Journal reported .
Investigations by the Stevens Point Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discovered that some system employees who’d left their positions following sexual harassment allegations were able to get jobs at other campuses because reference checks didn’t include harassment history.
One case involved Shawn Wilson, who resigned from his position as a UW-Stevens Point administrator in charge of handling Title IX complaints after sexual harassment allegations were made against him in 2015.
Wilson took a job handling Title IX complaints at an Illinois college in 2016. He then became UW-Eau Claire’s interim assistant dean of students in August 2017. He resigned three months later after Stevens Point officials informed Eau Claire officials about the allegations.
Gov. Scott Walker recently requested changes to the system’s hiring process.
The proposal would require system institutions to keep documentation of sexual harassment allegations, investigations and the final resolution of such situations. The proposal could also apply to employers outside of the university system or the state.
UW System President Ray Cross, Regents President John Behling and Regents Vice President Drew Peterson created the proposal.
Cross said the UW System won’t tolerate sexual harassment.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to assess our policies and revise them as necessary to ensure that our campus communities are safe and welcoming places to live, learn and work,” he said.
The system’s Board of Regents will consider the proposal Thursday.
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Information from: Wisconsin State Journal, http://www.madison.com/wsj
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