As I listened to North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper explain why he was dismissing the charges against the three Duke University LaCrosse players, I couldn't help but draw parallels to what has transpired on this campus in terms of how I have been treated by Chancellor Wiley and his Executive Assistant Casey Nagy, Provosts Peter Spear and Patrick Farrell.

Mr. Cooper said the students were vulnerable because Mr. Nifong had the financing and the weight of the state of North Carolina backing him against the three students in question. John Wiley has also had the weight of the Attorney Generals Office and the deep pockets of the taxpayers from the state of Wisconsin backing him. Mr. Nifong made false accusations that were not backed-up by DNA or any other credible evidence. Chancellor Wiley and his three subordinates all made false accusations against me that have never been substantiated at all. In fact, the allegations were thrown out as a result of my Hearing with the Academic Staff Appeals Committee on April 10th, 11th and 14th, 2006. Mr. Cooper said that Mr. Nifong had all of the power and disgression while the three students had none. Ditto for my case with John Wiley et al.

Mr. Cooper, and the three students in their remarks to the media stated that the biggest lesson emanating from their case was the fact that Duke University, Mr. Nifong and the media rushed to judgement forgetting the most fundamental part of the U.S. Constitution that says all men are innocent until proven guilty. This is exactly what has happened in my case as well.

Mr. Cooper criticized Mr. Nifong for going to a grand jury, presenting evidence and leaving no written, taped or video recording of what transpired which was used as a basis for the indictments against the three students. Aside from the ASAC Hearing, Chancellor Wiley and his buddies (with the exception of Peter Spear) have refused to face me directly in a Hearing or Court of Law and have in fact held their so-called documentation in secret from me and my attorney and the general public thereby undermining my rights to fairness and justice and the opportunity to face them–my ultimate accusers.

The Board of Regents have also denied my rights to justice and fairness by holding onto my appeal of all of the actions taken against me by the Wiley administration and not giving me my "day in court" with their Personnel Matters Review Committee despite the fact that my case meets and exceeds all of the criteria for such a Hearing. The Regents have been sitting on my appeal without taking any action since February of 2006.

Finally, Mr. Cooper was most critical of Mr. Nifong for not conducting a credible investigation of the allegations and then making pronouncements to the media that have served to destroy the reputation of these three young men. Chancellor Wiley never did any credible investigation of any of the allegations against me whatsoever, nor did Casey Nagy, Peter Spear, Patrick Farrell or Judge Susan Steingass. Yet, each of them went to the media with prouncements, reports and releases that have collectively served to ruin my reputation. What Mr. Nifong has done pales to the raw and unbridled abuse of power by Chancellor John Wiley and his cronies here at UW-Madison.

Paul W. Barrows, Ph.D.