UWM Still Isn’t Answering Student Journalists’ Azenabor Questions

Media Milwaukee would like to know on behalf of students: When did UWM find out about the sexual assault accusations against Professor Anthony Azenabor, and how did the university handle them? 

The answers would allow student journalists to determine, among other things, how quickly the university responded to the accusations by removing the professor from the classroom and so forth.

According to the university spokeswoman, Michelle Johnson, any university complaints and investigatory results in the Azenabor case may “not be released for some time.” She has declined to answer basic questions on the matter, instead suggesting students file an open records request. They did, but their request seeking any university complaints against Azenabor was then denied by the open records office because the investigation is not closed. 

Furthermore, Johnson acknowledged: “I don’t know that the EDS (Equity and Diversity Services) report would address your questions about when a report was made to police, by who and so on. It might, but it might not. I haven’t seen it. And, even if I had, I can’t talk about pending personnel matters.” 

Kathryn Amato, UWM’s open records custodian, wrote student journalist Dazia Cummings: “I am withholding responsive records from EDS because they relate to a current investigation of possible misconduct connected with employment by an employee and remain prior to the final university disposition of the investigation…for the same reason, I am withholding the EDS and Provost decisions.” She cited Wisconsin statutes in finding that the “records are precluded from release.”

She also decided to withhold UWM Police records into its investigation of Azenabor, saying they “relate to an ongoing investigation.” Earlier this month when a criminal complaint was filed against Azenabor alleging an on-campus rape, the UWM JAMS department’s student journalists began a quest for information surrounding the allegations and how the university was handling them. You can read the criminal complaint in the case here. It provides details of what the accuser is saying, but it doesn’t provide many details about how UWM has handled the case internally in its separate disciplinary process.

Historically, students have had a difficult time from UWM obtaining information without months-long delays about sexual harassment and assault accusations against employees. Starting in fall 2017, UWM Journalism students Tallis Shelbourne and Jennifer Rick waited an entire nine months before requests for information were fulfilled and, even then, UWM redacted many documents on sexual harassment and assault, saying it had to do so under open records laws. This time around, some pieces of information requested from UWM’s PR department via Michelle Johnson and Kathryn Amato were granted in just under three weeks, but key holes remain – namely in the timeline of when UWM learned of the accusations and what and when the university did in response.

Much of the information requested was formatted as simple questions that didn’t require entire documents to answer them, however, the PR department deferred the inquiries to documents that must be obtained through open records requests. Here are some of the the questions that remain unanswered; they were first sent to Johnson on March 4:

* What date did this accuser or anyone else come forward to UWM about the allegations? In other words, what date did UWM first learn of the accusations and by whom and in what manner? 

* Was a complaint filed with EDS and on what date and by whom in the case of the first accuser (referred to in the complaint as NAD)? 

* What date did the campus police learn about the accusations and from whom? 

* When was the EDS investigation launched and is there a finding in this case and on what date was it reached? 

* What was the Provost finding in this case and on what date was it reached? 

* Who informed UWM police and on what date were they informed? 

* As to the second student mentioned at the bottom of the criminal complaint, did EDS launch an investigation? What was the date it was launched, and what was the date and finding of EDS and the provost in that case? 

Upon finding that many of these questions remained unanswered, student journalists reached out once more to Michelle Johnson about their inquiries. She responded, via email, saying this: 

“While you may not have asked for documents, the information you are seeking would be in the EDS report. Therefore, you needed to file an open records request for that report. I am glad that you have done so, and I am sure that your request will be filled as quickly as our open records custodian can do it.” 

The EDS report was among documents denied to students previously. It is unclear why these questions are being deferred. 

Johnson suggested that student journalists obtain the criminal complaint, although that deals with the police investigation and not the university’s.

The criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court against Azenabor mentioned that “UWM has conducted official investigation in to Defendant’s conduct with (the accuser), and through the course of that investigation, did identify a second graduate student who was previously an assigned student of the Defendant’s.” The student journalists are seeking additional details about that timeline and UWM’s investigation to learn how it was handled. 

Azenabor taught until mid-November 2018, Johnson has said previously. 

Amato, UWM’s open records custodian, did release Azenabor’s employment contracts and CV to Media Milwaukee, as well as his teaching evaluations. Stories on those documents are forthcoming.

-Dazia Cummings contributed to this report.