UW-Milwaukee Accused of Lack of ‘Immediate Transparency’ Over Sexual Assault Report 

On Thursday, Feb. 8, UWM Police released a vague email statement to the campus community about an investigation of a reported sexual assault in the Kenilworth Square Apartments, a student dorm. However, the alleged assault itself was reported to police that Sunday, a four-day lag in notifying campus, Media Milwaukee has learned. 

Citing ongoing criminal charges, UWM’s PR team and its police department refused to explain why it took four days to notify the campus community. 

More than two months later, the university also won’t say whether either of the accused continues to attend classes at UWM, even after felony sexual assault charges were filed in court. One of the accused was a student employee at the time of the incident. It’s also not clear whether he retains that job and what it was. Neither appears on the list of people banned from campus. 

“I think it’s really weird,” Women’s Resource Program Intern Erin Cummings told Media Milwaukee for the four-day lag in notifying campus. “I think the safety of women should be a priority on this campus. It’s like that incident where a man brought a gun into the library. I think there’s a lack of immediate transparency.” 

UWM’s PR office declined an interview with Media Milwaukee. “UWM cannot discuss these specific circumstances, as criminal prosecutions are pending,” Angelica Duria, Director of Strategic Communications wrote in an email. “In general, notifying the campus regarding any criminal activity depends upon several factors, including the type of offense and when it is reported, the status of any criminal investigation, and any ongoing risk to campus.” 

A new criminal complaint, obtained by Media Milwaukee, sheds light on the accusations, which allegedly occurred on Saturday at 1915 East Kenilworth Place, the apartment of UW-Milwaukee student Brendan Hoover. Both Hoover and Heaven’l Parker, a student and employee of the university, were accused of second-degree sexual assault. It’s unclear if the accuser is a student or not.

According to the criminal complaint, Hoover and Parker were accused of second-degree sexual assault after they allegedly took an unconscious female back to Hoover’s apartment at Kenilworth. There they allegedly proceed to have sexual intercourse, which she state she doesn’t remember and didn’t consent to, the complaint says.

Two Media Milwaukee student journalists spent two months investigating the lag in campus notification and the alleged assault; they interviewed UWM students and faculty on campus via phone and in-person, visited and interviewed front desk personnel at Kenilworth Apartments, sent public records requests via email, researched both Hoover and Parker’s court dates and potential convictions, and contacted one of the accused’s lawyers. 

Here are their findings: 

• There was a four-day lag in informing the student body about the alleged sexual assault. 
• There is a history of the UWM Police Department neglecting to tell the campus community population about serious situations on campus as seen in the Elmo Daniels case. When Elmo Daniels allegedly loaded a gun in the Golda Meir Library in March of 2023, UWM staff did not receive notice until the following day, and students were not informed until the following Monday. No alerts were sent during the day of the incident, as reported in Cameron Knoll’s article for Media Milwaukee. 
• There is no clear university policy on notification timelines except for references to the Clery Act. 
• Media Milwaukee reporters failed to receive information about the enrollment status of the two students who were accused of sexual assault. 
• UWM Police have increased security and surveillance around the Kenilworth Square Apartment since the alleged sexual assault. 
• Media Milwaukee reporters went through the banned people’s list on the UWM Police Department website and found that among the banned are sexual offenses, burglary, harassment, threats, vehicle theft and unauthorized presence on campus, but not the two accused students. The most recent update to the list was on April 3, 2024. 

UWM Police Department released a statement regarding the alleged sexual assault that occurred in the Kenilworth Square Apartment on Feb. 8, 2024. 

The statement reads as follows: 

“The UWM Police Department is sharing information with UWM students, faculty, and staff about an investigation on campus. On Sunday, Feb. 4, a sexual assault was reported to the UWM Police Department.  

The assault occurred in Kenilworth Square Apartments residence hall early Saturday morning. Following an investigation, two suspects are in custody and were referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.  

In addition, the Milwaukee Police Department is conducting a separate investigation into a battery that occurred outside of Landmark Lanes shortly before the reported sexual assault. Milwaukee Police are searching for a suspect involved in the attack.   

 If you have any information, please contact the UW-Milwaukee Police Department at 414-229-4627. UWM is committed to combating sexual harassment and sexual violence on our campuses and in our communities. UWM will respond to all reports of sexual harassment and sexual violence (including sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, and stalking) with care and support, and through university investigative processes. Sexual assault is never the fault of the survivor.”  

This statement was given four days after the initial report was issued on Feb. 4, 2024. 

The UWM Police Department’s website states that notifying students about timely emergencies involving an immediate threat or “Clery-reportable” crimes is up to police discretion. 

The Clery Act is a federal statute requiring universities’ transparency around campus crime policies and statistics. The Clery Act mandates UWM to collect and create crime reports. These reports are distributed to employees and students annually, according to the Clery Center website. 

Universities are required to issue a ‘timely warning’ in which campus officials evaluate if there is a serious or ongoing threat to the campus community. 

In the event of immediate danger, officials may issue an emergency notification through the RAVE guardian app, text message and/or email. 

“The decision to issue a timely warning will be decided by the UW-Milwaukee Police Department on a case-by-case basis as soon as pertinent information is available and in light of all the facts surrounding the reported crime.” the UWM Police Department website reads. 

Clery-reportable crimes include: murder or non-negligent manslaughter, sex offenses, aggravated assault, arson, burglary, motor vehicle theft, domestic and dating violence, stalking and hate crimes, as listed on the UW-Milwaukee Police Department website. 

Where and when the crime occurred, the nature of the threat or crime including patterns of crime or threats to the broader community are listed on the website as factors when determining a timely warning. 

No set criteria, time, days, etc. can be found online for either the Clery Act or UWM policy, to define what is considered “timely.”

When asked about the specific university notification policy via email, Media Milwaukee received the same written statement from Police Chief David Salazar and UWM Media Services. Salazar has since been placed on administrative leave by the university, although UWM will not tell the campus community why.

Email from UWM Police Chief Salazar – 

“UWM cannot discuss these specific circumstances, as criminal prosecutions are pending. In general, notifying the campus regarding any criminal activity depends upon several factors, including the type of offense and when it is reported, the status of the criminal investigation, and any ongoing risk to the campus community about support resources and general safety precautions and encouraging crime reporting to UWMPD or local law enforcement.” 

Email from UWM’s PR team -  

“We are unavailable to provide an interview, but here’s UWM’s statement: UWM cannot discuss these specific circumstances, as criminal prosecutions are pending. In general, notifying the campus regarding any criminal activity depends upon several factors, including the type of offense and when it is reported, the status of any criminal investigation, and any ongoing risk to campus. UWM may also notify the campus about incidents that do not pose an ongoing risk to remind the campus community about support resources, and general safety precautions and encourage crime reporting to UWMPD or local law enforcement.” 

Reporters sent a follow-up email. They asked why notifying the campus community took four days.  

Again, both the UWM PR team and Police Chief David Salazar responded with the same statement -  

“As we indicated, UWM cannot discuss the specific considerations in sending a notification in this situation, as there are ongoing criminal cases. That said, UWM provided the considerations that go into any timely warning or other notification.” 

Salazar and the PR team gave no response when Media Milwaukee asked what the correlation was between a pending criminal case and the campus notification policy.  

Media Milwaukee reporters called the Dean of Students office asking about the current enrollment status of the two accused students but were asked to fill out a FERPA form. 

FERPA is a federal legislation that protects students’ educational record information privacy. Enrollment status, however, is considered “directory information,” which is not covered by FERPA, according to Staff Attorney Johnathan Gaston-Falk at the Student Press Law Center in an email.

“Directory information is permitted to be released by the school, however, it is not required,” emailed Brittani at the U.S. Department of Education Student Privacy Help Desk. She did not provide her last name. “Therefore, each school can dictate whether or not they will release information previously designated as directory information according to their policy.” 

The UW-Milwaukee Police Department website, which lists people currently banned from UWM, shows that neither Hoover nor Parker are banned from campus. The most recent update was on April 3, 2024 when William R. Dunphy was banned for allegedly making threats. 

Email correspondence between Media Milwaukee and UWM Media Services found that the banned people’s list is updated based on a new ban or an expired ban. UWM Media Services told student reporters that to quality for the banned list, a threat to health and safety must be present. 

After contacting Hoover’s lawyer via email to find out more information, Attorney Eric Schanowski wrote back the following:

“Thank you for reaching out. Given that the against Brendan remains ongoing we do not have a comment about the case at this time.” 

A Visit to the Resident Hall

Media Milwaukee reporters visited Hoover’s residence hall. 

With light streaming in through the windows, a large metal staircase on the right side and two double doors with a keypad for student I.D.s, residents buzz in as a singular front desk employee greets them. 

Both the staircase, entrance to the front doors and lobby are visible from the front desk while elevators are located further back. 

One of the front desk employees, who wished to remain anonymous, had this to say. 

“I do feel safe, and a lot of other people feel safe,” the employee said. “This doesn’t happen a lot. It’s very bad what happened, but it doesn’t happen a lot.” 

The employee stated that a vigilant front desk staff keeps an eye out for problem behaviors and situations. The building allows intoxicated people within the facility since residents must be 21 or older. 

The building is more relaxed in procedures in comparison to other UWM residence halls. While other student housing has a process for guests visiting residents, Kenilworth does not. One to three guests at a time are allowed, according to the employee, but residents must escort their guests as they enter and exit the building, according to the Kenilworth Apartments Housing site. 

After the reported alleged assault, UWM police visit the building regularly. 

“They check in on us, especially at night,” the source said. “They’re pretty vigilant. They’re nice, helpful and they make sure everything is going ok.” 

“It seems like the general approach to this kind of situation is more surveillance,” UWM library reference and instruction archivist Abigail Nye explained. She referenced promises of more police presence and installing security cameras in the library and elsewhere on campus after UWM Police failed to notify students about Elmo Daniels.  

Details from the Criminal Complaint

A summary of the complaint’s accusations is as follows.  

After her shift, the unidentified accuser went to Landmark Lanes on N. Farwell Ave. There she met Hoover and had several shots and drinks with him. On Feb. 3, 2024, at 9:00 am, she awoke in Hoover’s bedroom with Hoover and another man, later identified as Heaven’l Parker, the complaint said. 

The last thing she remembers is having a cigarette outside and one more shot with Hoover, it alleges. 

She stated that Hoover explained she got into a fight with another girl after getting accused of taking her phone outside of Landmark Lanes, according to the complaint. 

Surveillance footage shows Hoover, Parker, and her outside the bar and the fight that ensued. Hoover and Parker did not intervene in the fight and did not render aid to her after she was knocked unconscious on the ground on the curb, the complaint says. 

Hoover stated, according to the criminal complaint, that they had consensual intercourse but wasn’t sure if she was awake when Parker was having intercourse with her. Hoover did state that he heard talking coming from the bedroom, it alleges. 

In the complaint, Hoover stated that around 7:30 a.m. the next morning, he and Parker went to a nearby Colectivo Coffee and got a coffee. When they arrived back at Hoover’s apartment, he stated that Parker had intercourse with her again, and wasn’t sure if she was awake again, the complaint says. 

A little while later she woke up, and Hoover stated Parker had told her about the night before it says. 

Hoover and Parker met for the first time that night, according to the criminal complaint. 

The Title IX Office details the reporting process below:  

When anonymously reporting, an individual wants the university to be aware after believing they or someone else experienced sexual harassment or assault without being involved in an administrative investigation. Title IX Coordinator, Office of Equity/Diversity Services, and the Dean of Students receive anonymous reports.  

 If an individual seeks emotional, advocacy, or health support, regardless of whether a police report of any kind may or may not be filed, they should report confidentially by contacting UWM Survivor and Victim Advocacy Services, Student Health and Wellness Center, and University Counseling Services.  A confidential resource does not inform the university nor police of one’s name or details but keeps a de-identified record of the report for state and federally mandated reporting.  

Talking to the Women’s Resource Center: 

“I make sure my location is shared with multiple people,” Women’s Resource Center Program Coordinator Tori Garner said when asked about staying safe on-and-off campus in light of recent events.  

Turning location services on one’s phone with trusted family members and friends is not the only way to stay safe. The RAVE Guardian app connects students to the Police, sends campus alerts, and provides a virtual walking service.  

“I just make sure that I’m prepared. I have my pepper spray and I have my phone in hand and things are easily accessible to protect myself,” Cumming said.  “Sometimes I’ll text my sister or my friend that I’m leaving because if someone is coming here to do those things once, what’s stopping them from doing it again?”  

The Women’s Resource Center Confidential Survivor Support and Victim Advocacy services aid students through emotional, legal, academic, and medical support, according to their website. The WRC provides drop-in advocacy hours with UWM Survivor Support and Victim Advocacy Coordinator Karate Zubeck on Wednesdays from 12-3 p.m. 

Cummings also referred to the Daniels case. Daniels was arrested for allegedly loading a gun in the library and charged with two Class A misdemeanors: “carrying a concealed weapon” and “carrying a firearm in a public building,” according to then Police Chief Salazar.

In December of 2021, Daniels was accused of punching a UWM library staff member, the criminal complaint said. He was banned by UWM Police from the Union that same month.  

UWM Police officially banned Daniels from the entire campus on March 24, 2023, according to their website under “Individuals Banned from Campus.” As a result, library staff received safety training.  

“One of the main complaints within the library after the Elmo Daniels incident is that students weren’t included in communication even though there are employees and so they were left without the information they needed,” UWM library reference and instruction archivist Abigail Nye said.  

Nye is the mother of a student at Hartford Elementary School near the university and works directly below where Daniels allegedly loaded his gun. She told Media Milwaukee that Hartford was not notified either.  

Daniels was declared mentally incompetent after appearing in court on May 17, an email between Nye and Salazar stated. That same day Daniels was tried with accounts of lewd and lascivious and disorderly conduct, and two accounts of bail jumping for a separate incident near the Urban Ecology Center and Oak Leaf Trail.  

Media Milwaukee waits to hear back from UWM PR about the open records request to find out about both the notification policy and if the accused continue to attend class.

Hoover’s and Parker’s next court case is a scheduling conference on May 9. Online court records say they have filed a judicial substitution and their defense attorneys are planning on filing a motion to sever their cases. Hoover does have a Justice Point “violation” pre-trial supervision listed.

This article was written and reported by Peyton Radloff and Ava Ladky.