Statement of Interim Chancellor David Ward on the second Chadima review

Here is the statement of Interim Chancellor David Ward regarding the completion and release of the second report of former Judge Patrick Fiedler’s independent review on allegations of misconduct by senior associate athletic director John Chadima.

The charge letter can be found here.

The second report is available here.

“The second independent review team, led by Judge Patrick Fielder, has completed its work and I am now able to release it.

“After learning of an allegation of misconduct involving Mr. Chadima, the university placed him on administrative leave and he subsequently submitted his resignation. We initiated an independent review of the matter (http://www.news.wisc.edu/20238). Following the release of the first report, another adult male came forward with similar allegations. In consultation with the Board of Regents, I asked Judge Fiedler to conduct an independent investigation of this allegation and any related allegations and asked him to include the UW Police Department or other law enforcement authorities in his work. He worked with a detective from UWPD and one from the Dane County Sheriff’s Department.

“It is my understanding that no criminal charges have been filed.

“The second review team has concluded its work and submitted its report to me and to the Board of Regents. Pursuant to Wisconsin Public Records Law, Mr. Chadima was provided notice of our intent to release the report. Today, through his attorney, Mr. Chadima agreed to waive the waiting period that would have delayed the release of this document.

“Upon review of the second report — and further review of the first report — it is clear to me that our decision to remove Mr. Chadima from his workplace and conduct independent investigations was the prudent course of action. We take all such allegations of misconduct seriously and we will continue to respond in what we feel is the appropriate manner. Specifically, we are committed to ensuring that we provide a safe and secure work environment for our students, faculty and staff.

“Moving forward, I have asked Vice Chancellor for Administration Darrell Bazzell to lead an internal review of our campus policies related to alcohol. While both reports indicate the processes for reporting worked well, I have asked Chief University Counsel Lisa Rutherford to review the procedures and make any necessary adjustments.

“This has been a very difficult time for everyone involved, particularly the alleged victims. Throughout this process, it was my intent to provide the highest level of transparency possible without compromising the integrity of the process.

“I again want to thank the teams for their work and to those who have provided valuable information to these review teams.”