The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents voted unanimously Friday to dismiss UW-Madison professor Lewis Keith Cohen from his tenured position in the comparative literature department.
Cohen was one of three convicted felons who brought nationwide attention to UW last summer, sparking controversy about the system's disciplinary process. Cohen was convicted of child enticement and use of the Internet to send explicit materials to a child. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and eight years probation.
"Professor Cohen's egregious conduct and its effect upon the university and the community require that this action be taken," Board of Regents President David Walsh said in a statement. "We will not condone such activity and promise that we will continue to address such matters in an expeditious but fair manner."
The dismissal came upon recommendation by UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley and is effective immediately. According to UW System spokesperson Doug Bradley, the decision was important in bringing a final resolution to the controversial and highly publicized cases.
"This Board has been very concerned about the three cases on the Madison campus," Bradley said. "It is at least good to have closure, even though some say we should have had it done with months ago."
In addition to Cohen's dismissal, the university also announced Friday it has accepted the resignation of assistant medical school professor Steven Clark, which will take effect Aug. 15, 2006. Clark was convicted of stalking and sentenced to a one-year term, which will be up in June.
According to UW-Madison spokesperson Brian Mattmiller, the provost recommended Clark's termination last fall, which was accompanied by issuance of unpaid leave.
Medical school professor Roberto Coronado, the third of the high-profile faculty felons, was dismissed from his position at the university in February. He is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence for child molestation.
"Having three faculty members convicted [of felonies] in such a short time frame was an exceedingly rare situation for the university," Mattmiller said. "Many are feeling a strong sense of relief."
Mattmiller went on to say that Clark's resignation saved "quite a bit of time" for the university, as his case now does not need to be drawn through the disciplinary processes that Cohen's and Coronado's cases were put through.
Largely in response to public outrage about the situation, a special regent committee was formed last October to examine the system's disciplinary process. With recommended revisions, the regents transmitted a new academic-staff disciplinary process to shared-governance agencies in February, seeking their review and input.
The regents will look to make final revisions to the process, considering suggestions from shared-governance bodies and other campuses at their June meeting.
Passing the issue around to interested parties is part of the "beauty of UW," according to Bradley, who noted both Walsh and committee chair Regent Mike Spector have been visiting UW campuses statewide and meeting with interested groups to ensure a more democratic process.
"The disciplinary process generally works if it's done the right way; it has to be balanced against due-process rights," Mattmiller said. "I think [the disciplinary process] is in good hands."
A felon audit released Feb. 28 sparked additional calls for revision in the system's handling of felons, this time by legislators pushing for more extensive background checks.
"The story that should come out of this is that our friends in the Legislature and the Board are committed to the common goal of safety and security," Bradley said.
