Rules planned to assist University of Wisconsin System campuses in firing professors for criminal behavior would not go into effect in time to be used against a history professor accused of possessing child pornography, a UW System official said Monday.
The Board of Regents constructed rules about how the system should respond to criminal activity on campus after three UW professors were convicted of felonies in 2005.
UW System spokesperson David Giroux said the regents decided to implement a new policy that places professors on unpaid leave if they commit a criminal offense.
However, Giroux said the new rules would not go into effect until July 1, and Michael Forest — the UW-Stevens Point professor charged with child pornography — will not be affected by the new policy.
Under state law, UW institutions cannot fire faculty based on felony convictions. A new set of guidelines and changes approved by the regents went forward to the state, Giroux said, and the state Legislature just signed off on it last month.
Despite the restrictions, Giroux said UW-Stevens Point Chancellor Linda Bunnell is moving aggressively under the current framework and suspended Forest from campus last week.
"The chancellor is committed to making sure that our students and any other visitors to campus are safe," Giroux said. "I think it demonstrates that she is being as assertive as she possibly can."
As the incident unfolded, Giroux said the UW System went out of its way to remind legislators of the issue's progress, and added the timeline is something the university has no control over.
State Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, said the Board of Regents needs to institute a policy immediately, adding the regents have dragged their feet on this issue for two years since it first came out that there were professors at UW-Madison convicted of felonies.
"This individual should not be paid if he has been charged with this crime," Suder said. "No way on earth should taxpayers be paying a salary for an individual who is a pedophile. This is absolutely atrocious."
Suder said legislators are challenging the regents to reform this issue, and said if they do not take action, "We will force the board to do so."
