UWM Officials Decline to Immediately Answer Questions on Anthony Azenabor

Several University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee officials declined to respond to questions posed by student journalists regarding the recent allegations of sexual assault against UWM Professor Anthony Azenabor.

A Media Milwaukee student journalist armed with a list of questions was sent on March 4, 2019 to the university’s public relations department by officials in the UWM Police Department and the Office of Equity and Diversity Services, which handles sexual assault and harassment complaints against employees. The student journalist wanted to speak with both police and EDS on the topic.

The university spokeswoman in the PR office, Michelle Johnson, then told student journalists to file open records requests for most of their questions, including basic queries such as when UWM first learned of the allegations against the professor, who is facing accusations that he sexually assaulted a PhD student under his supervision in the basement of Enderis Hall on campus, amidst other allegations.

Student journalists were also initially turned away when they sought to review Azenabor’s teaching evaluations and were told the matter had been funneled up to higher-ups for review. The student journalists then filed the requested open records requests on March 4, 2019 and are awaiting response.

Student journalists with Media Milwaukee have previously had to wait months to receive sexual harassment and sexual assault complaints at UWM. In the past, the university also redacted some information from complaints, as required, it says, by open records laws. Other open records requests took weeks to receive; in some cases, the university previously could not provide requested information on the topic without the students incurring significant costs.

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.

These are the questions the student journalists posed about the Azenabor allegations on March 4, 2019 to Johnson, whose title is Sr. Director of Integrated Marketing & Communications:

• 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 (Equity and Diversity Services) and on what date and by whom in the case of the first accuser (referred to in the complaint as (initials given)? 
• What date did the campus police learn about the accusations and from whom? 
• When’s the last date that the professor taught courses or supervised students?
• What was the EDS 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?
• How many complaints overall (and for what) has the university received, formal or informal, against Anthony Azenabor since his time of hire? We have a separate open records request seeking those actual documents. This question is merely for the aggregate number.

Johnson responded via email, saying only: “Prof. Azenabor was assigned to teach two courses in the Fall 2018 semester and taught them until mid-November 2018. Other reporters have asked when he was hired, so I’ll also let you know that he began working at UWM in August 2001. You will need to file open records requests for answers to your other questions, and our public records custodian will evaluate those requests when they are received.”

A chart presented on the university’s website shows that open records requests from all sources have jumped in recent years. Johnson indicated after past stories that UWM would appreciate it if student journalists would “limit their records requests to a reasonable volume.” There is no requirement under the law that open records requests must be initiated to obtain the answers to basic factual questions.

The criminal complaint provides details of the allegations. The accuser “stated that her former professor, who she identified as Anthony Azenabor, the above-named Defendant, engaged in non-consensual sexual contact and sexual intercourse with her during the time he was her assigned PhD program adviser,” the newly filed criminal complaint says.

The complaint graphically details one alleged assault in May 2018 in which the student alleges Azenabor “requested her to bring a piece of equipment for their research to a lab in the basement of Enderis Hall.” She described the area as a windowless locked lab, and alleges the defendant “pushed her in to a sitting position on a bench by forcefully using his left hand to push the center of her chest” and then sexually assaulted her, the complaint said.

You can read a full story on the accusations against Azenabor here.

Johnson did email a statement to a student journalist for Media Milwaukee on March 4, 2019. It reads, “The charges against Prof. Azenabor are very serious. UWM police have been working closely with the district attorney’s office on the criminal investigation. The university administration is evaluating his continued employment. Prof. Azenabor is currently not assigned to teach any classes and does not have contact with any students. UWM is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all of our students, and we always encourage students who believe they have been victimized to come forward and speak to police. Their courage allows us to take action.”

In addition, Chancellor Mark Mone sent a campus-wide email out on the topic. It reads:

“Over the weekend, UW-Milwaukee Professor of Health Sciences Anthony Azenabor was charged with two counts of felony sexual assault with the use of force and one misdemeanor count of fourth degree sexual assault related to interactions with UWM students. Yesterday, a Milwaukee County judge issued a no contact order, barring Professor Azenabor from the UWM campus. 

The charges against Professor Azenabor are very serious. Our UWM Police Department has been working closely with the district attorney’s office on the criminal investigation, and university leadership is evaluating his continued employment. While a no contact order was issued yesterday as part of the legal proceedings, UWM took actions previously to preclude Professor Azenabor from having any contact with UWM students. In addition, he is not teaching any courses this semester. 

UWM is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all everyone, and we always encourage students, faculty and staff who believe they have been victimized to come forward and speak to police and other resource offices as noted below. Those who report issues like this are courageous and their bravery allows us to take responsive actions.”

The email then listed offices that are “resources for students seeking assistance or support.”

The accusations against Azenabor allegedly occurred during a time frame in which UWM was in the news over sexual assault and sexual harassment allegations against employees. In late 2017, Media Milwaukee obtained, through an open records request, a chart showing that at least 37 professors and other staff members at UWM were accused in complaints filed with the university of sexual harassment or assault since 2013. The university did not release all complaints in closed investigations until summer 2018, many months after students first requested them in November 2017. In some cases, the Equity and Diversity office investigator and the provost disagreed sharply over the conclusions. Redactions were made to many of the released documents. That project produced many journalism awards, including for freedom of information efforts involving open records requests.

Media Milwaukee’s student journalists will continue pursuing the answers to the questions and will update readers when those are received.