The-Ave.US

Norm Arkans This story is important for reasons centering not only on Michael Katze but on faculty governance and the role of Norm Arkans as the head of the UW’s Media Relations office. The Faculty Code makes it clear (or used to make it clear) that investigations of this sort should be under due process regulated not by the administration but by the faculty appointed adjudication panels. Arkans’ role here worries me because of his role in the effort by the UW to buy out and close down KPLU. In that situation Arkans had a lot of power .. as a member of the KUOW board of directors, as head of the UW office of public records , and as a key figure (I presume) in the decision to use UW scarce funds to make the purchase of KPLU. This is  an unfortunate combination of responsibilities that conflict with the UW’s simple need for a spokesperson in issues like this.

This post was censored by the AAUP. 

Norm Arkans, the UW public relations spokesman,  has announced that UW  virus researcher Michael Katze is being charged with sexual harassment.

“His conduct was inappropriate and not in any way reflective of the university’s values,” UW spokesman Norm Arkans said today in a statement posted online. “This is why the matter is now in the faculty disciplinary process, through which an appropriate outcome will be adjudicated.”

Michael Katze

BuzzFeed has published a lengthy report delving into the details of the investigation.  GeekWire’s efforts to contact Katze , were unsuccessful today. Buzzfeed quoted  Jon Rosen, Professor Katze’s lawyer  as saying Katze will “continue to vigorously defend against the false and salacious charges pending before the University of Washington adjudication panel”

The Seattle Tech blog Geekwire reports:  that  redacted documents from the UW, traces years of behavior – including allegations that Katze engaged in a “quid pro quo” sexual relationship with one female employee and subjected another female employee to a hostile work environment.

BuzzFeed reported that the lab was quietly shuttered in April.

The public face issue of the Katze case also worries me.  Why isn’t the Chair of The Faculty Senate the spokesperspon for the faculty??  Norm Arkans was also the public face  of a sad process .. the denial of due process under former  President Emmert  and Provost Wise that ended up with the university over riding the faculty adjudication process.  Provost Wise went on to ignomy for her role in the denial of tenure to Steve Salaita .. very much echoing what happened here at UW.  The appearance and the reality was that the Emmert administration had no respect for the faculty.