UWL continues to bungle investigation into professor’s alleged misconduct

It is important, when allegations are made, to take the time to conduct a complete investigation. But it is also important, particularly for alleged victims, that the investigation be done in a timely fashion. That has not been the case at UW-La Crosse, where months after the university finally conducted an investigation into a professor accused of sexual misconduct, we are still waiting to find out the truth. The investigation is now done, the report finished, but we still don’t know what happened, or what will happen next. Chancellor Joe Gow says he still has to read the report and consult with attorneys to determine when, how and how fully the findings will be released. It shouldn’t take this long. We said months ago, when allegations were first made public, that UW-L should get in front of this controversy. That didn’t happen. Instead, the scandal lingers, and protesters continue to hold signs on campus, proclaiming that the university protects predatory professors. Gow recently came under fire from students for not doing more, not acting sooner, and not being more transparent. Students deserve to know whether their professors have misbehaved, and what is to be done about it. Each day without resolution to this mess is another bad look for UW-La Crosse.