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Walsh drafts rebuttal to legislators’ letter

University of Wisconsin Board of Regents President David Walsh sent a letter to three state representatives Wednesday dismissing their request that the board discipline UW System President Kevin Reilly and re-open the Paul Barrows investigation.

Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, one of the letter's three recipients, responded by describing Walsh's letter as "arrogant" and said it will only serve to make him and his colleagues "more insistent than ever" on having a "truly independent investigation" of the Barrows matter.

"Chancellor Wiley's decision to inform President Reilly was the right thing to do, and the fact that he did is not a rational basis for your requests," Walsh wrote. "Accordingly, I do not intend to request that the Board further address the matter, or appoint another investigator."

After addressing the legislator's concerns, Walsh proceeded to make a request of his own to Rep. Suder and to Reps. Rob Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, and Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater, the group who initially expressed concern after Reilly revealed to the Wisconsin State Journal his early knowledge of the Barrows scandal.

"In the future, I believe the people of the state of Wisconsin would be better served if, rather than issuing press releases and sending letters to me through the press, you pick up the telephone and call me, or the appropriate university official, to discuss these matters," Walsh wrote.

"[A]t some point, the people, the students, and their families, as well as the many dedicated employees of the UW System, deserve at least an effort from you to engage in constructive dialogue."

Suder said he was disappointed by Walsh's comments about picking up the telephone and referred to him as an "unelected regent" who has never been to his office or picked up the phone to call him.

"It is the height of hypocrisy for Regent Walsh to suggest that my office or any one of the three offices who ask these legitimate questions should stop asking these legitimate questions," Suder said. "Regent Walsh apparently thinks nothing is wrong, and that really is part of the problem."

Walsh said he tried to be polite in his letter but remarked, "Enough's enough," and added several regents have already complimented him for the letter.

"I hope nobody thought I was being insulting, [but] I thought their request didn't have any basis," Walsh said. "Kevin Reilly confirmed that [Wiley] told him why he was putting him on leave and that he was stressed out by it and that's it."

Walsh also refuted Suder's comment about never placing a call to his office.

"The fact is the reason they don't call us and they won't return our calls — they don't want to talk about the issues," he said. "We'd like to talk about two things: financial aid … and, secondly, what [they] want for enrollment."

Suder said "budgetary matters" are separate issues and continued to express his desire for answers to his questions about "felon issues" and the Barrows scandal.

"This isn't about Regent Walsh's ego. This is about our legitimate questions regarding a serious scandal," he said. "Unfortunately, not only does the UW administration not get it, David Walsh doesn't get it."

Suder said he has no indication that any of the 17 regents will articulate his concerns when the full board meets in Madison late next week, but added his group will try to either go themselves or send someone to represent them.

"The issue is far from over," he said. "We're going to continue to try to force the regents to take this matter seriously."

Walsh said the board requests guests contact the regents ahead of time if they wish to speak, and added Suder would certainly be allowed to plead his case before the full board.

"If Suder came, because he's in the Legislature, we'd invite him to make a comment," he said.

Mike Mikalsen, a spokesperson for Rep. Nass, said the three representatives would issue a "strong response" to Walsh today in the form of a letter.