UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | February 14, 2025

Black Student Union invited all to boogie at Disco Night

Dancers boogied down to the Student Activity Center for a Disco Night hosted by Utah Tech University’s Black Student Union at 9 p.m. Feb. 7.

The disco was BSU’s kickoff event for Black History Month and was in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Student Organization. They were bumping classic throwback tunes from the ’70s and ’80s while mixing up genres with some modern hits. Michael Jackson, Lil Wayne and other prominent Black artists could be heard all night.

The SAC’s gym was decorated with balloons, glitter and flashing disco lights that added to the spirited atmosphere. Students and club members alike came dressed in their best disco outfits and danced the night away.

Nevaéh Anderson, a junior criminal justice major from Atlanta, is the BSU club president and wanted to keep the energy high for the group’s first event. 

“Every single Black History Month, we got to kick it off with a bang,” Anderson said. “Last year we did a house party, basically early 2000s. So we said, ‘Why not take it back to ’70s disco time?’”

Sharniece Pinex, a freshman criminal justice and psychology major from Las Vegas and BSU club vice president, said that social media also influenced their choice of the event.

“I think we wanted to start with a disco because it’s really trendy on TikTok right now,” Pinex said. “I feel like we would get a lot of people to participate since they see that it’s not something harsh like a poetry slam. We’re gonna ease into that.”

Pinex said she wanted to join BSU to find others she could relate to and find a sense of community. Similarly, Hayden Hellebrand, a freshman information technology major from Las Vegas, said he joined the club for the community as a first-year student at Utah Tech. 

The group of students who attended made sure to keep the party energy high. The group included students of all races and backgrounds which is what the BSU wants to focus on. 

“I just want to make it very clear that while this is the Black Student Union, it’s not just for Black students,” Talara Pelt, a senior creative writing major from Las Vegas and club secretary, said. “Of course, we do love our Black students, but this is for everyone to come together [and] have a safe space to just hang out and vibe.”

Anderson agreed. “A lot of people have that fear of, ‘Oh, I’m not Black, I can’t be in it,’” she said. “That’s not the point.”

Community was the theme of this event as everyone came together to have fun and dance. The BSU welcomes any student from any background to come and learn about Black culture. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Pelt said. “Black, white, brown, purple, unicorn. It doesn’t matter. Please just come on down and hang out. It’s a really fun time.”

Missouri State students react to misconduct allegations against former Utah Tech president

Missouri State University’s student-run news, The Standard, published an article about student tension rising after a lawsuit was released against former Utah Tech University president Richard “Biff” Williams.  

Liz Garcia, a senior journalism major from Branson, Missouri, is a co-editor-in-chief for The Standard. 

“I know, especially on social media, there was kind of a lot of upset… learning about… what [Biff] had done at Utah Tech,” Garcia said. “And so there was just kind of a lot of confusion. And, students were kind of wondering, ‘Where do we go from here now that he’s our president?’” 

Garcia said once students came back to school from being home during Christmas break, student voices became more apparent. 

On the college social networking app Yik Yak, an individual had posted a picture with “F— BIFF” written in the snow outside MSU’s Freudenberger House

Photo courtesy Liz Garcia.

Ruby Knight, a freshman business education major from Purdy, Missouri, is the reporter from The Standard that wrote the story

“I would mention too, that before Christmas break, I had mentioned the chalking practice in my article, where they write on the sidewalk,” Knight said. “I had seen that same message, written on the sidewalk in front of Carrington, which is our administration building.”

Flyers were placed, like this one in an elevator in the Brick City 1 building, on MSU’s campus. 

Photo courtesy Liz Garcia.

A couple of social media pages were created where students displayed their distaste for Williams, including @bearsagainstbiff and @zuweenie_gate

@bearagainstbiff has posted about flyers in the library that read, “We need Biff off our campus,” and a post about, “Meet the board of governors, the ones that okay-ed someone who abuses power.”

@zuweenie_gate’s page was at one point selling “Zuweenie-Gate 2024” shirts that said, “50 shirts bought and we’ll anonymously send one to Biff.” 

“I would just say that I think that sometimes things can get blown up or amplified by social media and, you know, to quote ‘Wicked,’ ‘The best way to bring people together is to give them a real good enemy,’” Knight said. “And I feel like we are seeing some of that phenomenon on our campus. And based on my reporting and the way things are trending, I do believe it will eventually blow over.”

Students weren’t the only ones voicing their concerns. MSU Faculty Senate passed a no-confidence resolution pertaining to Williams’ leadership. 

MSU Faculty Senate Chair-elect Micheal Foster shared the final language of the resolution reading, “Whereas, the conduct of President Williams at Utah Tech is not in line with Missouri State University’s (MSU) commitments to ethical leadership and inclusive excellence; and Whereas, the high-profile nature of his breech in ethical leadership and inclusive excellence could negatively affect MSU’s current search for a new Provost, development of a strategic plan, as well as the university’s ability to recruit and retain students, staff, and faculty.”

However, the MSU Board of Governors, composed of individuals who are affiliated with MSU but don’t necessarily live in Springfield, Missouri, voted unanimously to keep Williams as president. 

“It doesn’t really seem like if students did want to continue, sort of, expressing their distaste for him, if that would really have as much of an impact considering the board of governors decided to keep him instated as our president,” Garcia said. 

While Williams is remaining as president at MSU, Utah Tech’s Faculty Senate also passed a no-confidence resolution pertaining to six administrative individuals on campus.

Kyle Killebrew, Utah Tech instructor of the practice in English composition and Faculty Senate secretary, said though the majority of the press coverage has focused on Williams’ actions and how the administration has handled those actions, Utah Tech Faculty Senate’s no-confidence resolution addressed a variety of concerns.

No-confidence resolutions are not binding decisions and don’t have the power to compel change, but they do send a strong message of disapproval from faculty.

“However, the strongest voice at Utah Tech is that of its students,” Killebrew said. “Utah Tech students have an important role to play in shaping the climate on campus, and as your tuition dollars keep the university running, you have a power for change greater than that of our faculty, staff and administrators.”

Additionally, Utah Tech is in the process of searching for the next president. The education requirement changed from having a doctorate degree to a bachelor’s degree. 

“I think if that were to happen at Missouri State, I would be kind of concerned, especially since, having the bump down from a PhD to a bachelor’s degree is a pretty big difference in terms of just the pure education level that you would have,” Garcia said. “And it would kind of feel as if, you’re just prioritizing, seeking an immediate replacement rather than looking for a long term stability or different other qualities that might be more essential in a candidate.”

The Standard has reported on students’ reactions to the lawsuit against Williams, the Faculty Senate no-confidence resolution and the multiple meetings the board of governors held to determine Williams’ standing. 

“I would say that the student voice is very amplified and encouraged on our campus,” Knight said. “Exercising the right of free speech is always very welcome here, and I found that that’s an interesting part of our university that I hadn’t experienced in my educational journey thus far.” 

HB 265—potential budget cuts, impact on Utah Tech

With the fear of an estimated 10% budget cut, students, faculty and staff gathered in the Gardner Student Center Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. to discuss the potential effects this could have on Utah Tech University.

The Institute of Politics and Public Affairs hosted the event to create conversation about the upcoming bills proposed for the 2025 Utah State Legislature that affect higher education. With the goal of informing the audience, a discussion was held amongst a panel of speakers. Led by moderator Vince Brown, director of the Institute of Politics and Public Affairs, the panel included:

  • Stephen Lee, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Julie Chew, Faculty Senate president
  • Geoff Allen, assistant professor of political science
  • Bella Estes, student body president
  • Brad Ashay, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Utah

Brown said the panel was selected to give diverse thoughts and opinions regarding the upcoming bills, specifically HB 265, and the effects they could have.

“There is a lot of concern amongst the faculty, staff and students about what is going to happen in the legislature this year in terms of bills coming down that affect higher education, including possible cuts to funding,” Brown said. “At the IOP, our job is just simply to try to provide as much information as we can, and in this case, to allay concerns or to make people aware so that they’re active and involved.”

The Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment Bill, HB 265, is sponsored by Republican Representative Karen Peterson and is discussed in this year’s legislative. The legislature is in the process of removing $60 million from institutions statewide to be placed in a reinvestment fund, and Utah Tech’s estimated portion would be around $2.5 million.

Thus, the bill will “require each degree-granting institution to create a strategic reinvestment plan to reallocate funding from certain programs and divisions of the institution to certain programs and divisions that merit additional investment.”

The effective date for the bill is May 7, 2025 if passed, with universities having three years to implement the investment plan.

For many in attendance, the event was a way to become more informed about the potential effects on the university in the future. Kyle Killebrew, instructor of English, attended the event to learn more about the upcoming bills that could affect universities in Utah, specifically information about reallocation and budget cuts.

“Theoretically, if some of the proposed reallocations end up going through, it could negatively impact some of the important programs here at Utah Tech, especially if anything goes through that impacts faculty lines,” Killebrew said.

Similarly, Shauna Wight, assistant professor of English, said she is concerned about the impacts the bills could have on the students’ offerings, like the courses they can take or are required to take.

Daniel Klingler, a junior English major from South Jordan, was among the students who attended the event. He said he attended to learn more about how the bills would potentially affect the university, fellow students and himself. However, a big concern of Klinger’s is the effect these bills could have on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences department.

“I just don’t see them [CHASS] getting as much funding, or they’re going to get downsized to such a degree we’ll lose a lot of degree programs, things like my degree, creative writing,” Klinger said.

With these potential cuts to certain programs, Klinger is concerned about the skills students will lose by not having these classes. He said these programs encourage people to create cultural impact.

“If we lose the ability to learn these skills to create change, then humanity stalls,” Klinger said. “People aren’t going to be able to fight for what they believe in if they don’t have the words, language or understanding to do so.”

Dean Lee discussed amongst the panel the importance of CHASS and the skills it can help students develop. Some of the skills mentioned in the discussion were critical thinking, communication and innovation. He said it’s important to be able to look at issues from multiple perspectives and challenge ourselves environmentally, which ultimately prepares you for life after college.

Lee said, “It is that we’re preparing you for life-ready and citizen-ready; that you are indeed a contributor to society and an informed citizen because that’s where your liberal arts or humanities and social science training will come to bear every day.”

An additional discussion that arose was the potential cutback on the credits required for general education. Part of this would mean that students could get a degree in three years instead of four. With a shorter time at the university, it would be a cutback on general education and elective classes. Chew discussed with the panel how these classes help make a more rounded individual.

“I think you learn grit and develop resiliency through taking classes that make you critically think, make you collaborate, make you examine values and beliefs and how they fit in with that, and develop an ethically principled adult who works in the world effectively,” Chew said.

The Utah State Legislature session begins on Jan. 21 and will go until March 7. If interested in taking action, Utah Tech Day on the Hill is Jan. 29, which is an opportunity for anyone to voice concerns at the Utah State Capitol. Moreover, if you want your voice to be heard, you can also email Governor Spencer Cox regarding concerns about the bills.

“It starts here, but it doesn’t end with us,” Klinger said. “They’re going to push these studies out without realizing the impact if we don’t stand up and fight back.”

Lawsuit against Utah Tech results in faculty resolution, update on presidential search process

When the lawsuit against Utah Tech University administrators was released to the public, students, faculty and staff experienced a multiplicity of events.

This 42-page lawsuit named 13 administrative faculty and staff, as well as the Utah Board of Higher Education, the Utah System of Higher Education, Utah Tech University and the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.

This lawsuit was a result of repeated discriminatory, harassing behavior that three Utah Tech employees faced. These employees were:

  • Rebecca “Becky” Broadbent, general counsel
  • Jared Rasband, senior associate general counsel
  • Hazel Sainsbury, director of equity compliance and Title IX coordinator

This lawsuit shed light on what was going on inside Utah Tech. A court date has yet to be released to the public, even after the 2024 semester ended.

However, many things have changed around campus since the release of this lawsuit. First, quickly after the lawsuit was released, the Utah Tech Faculty Senate proposed a resolution to faculty members regarding administration.

The proposed resolution included a vote of no confidence in administration with executive duties in leadership positions which included:

  • Interim president Courtney White
  • Provost Micheal Lacourse
  • Del Beatty, vice president of student affairs
  • Jordon Sharp, vice president of marketing and communication
  • Henrie Walton, assistant to the president for government and community relations and interim chief of staff
  • Travis Rosenberg, executive director of human resources

A section of this proposed resolution states:

Screenshot of a section of the resolution published in The Salt Lake Tribune Nov. 24, 2024.

The resolution continues, saying the faculty senate will meet with the general faculty Nov. 20, 2024 to recall for the following actions: reviewing the allegations against the university and ensuring accountability, strengthening protections for whistleblowers, publicly sharing and detailing a plan addressing a recommitment to fostering a respected workplace culture, and acknowledging the apology issued by Courtney White to faculty and staff.

Robert Hall, assistant professor of communication and faculty senator for the communication department, said: “We didn’t just do this on behalf of faculty; we did take into consideration the student’s concerns. After we saw the news piece from the Sun News, I reached out to our senate president, president-elect and other members and said, ‘Our students are calling this out, we cannot be quiet.'”

After voting in favor of the resolution, the faculty senate met with Geoffrey Landward, Utah System of Higher Education chancellor, to express their concerns and aspirations for a new president.

Hall said it was a good opportunity to meet and discuss their concerns with him and they have been meeting regularly with the board of trustees since their initial meeting.

The Faculty Senate also hoped to bridge the gaps between administrators, students, faculty and staff. Hall said they are trying to figure out how to collaborate and be in the same lane rather than having faculty and students in one lane and administration in the other. The board of trustees has been working with the faculty senate to resolve this.

The second change occurred during the 2024 winter break, Dec. 24, when the Utah Board of Higher Education emailed the campus community to announce a new presidential search committee.

Student body president, Bella Estes, a senior communication major from Scottsdale, Arizona, said she was surprised they were establishing a new search committee.

In this email, UBHE announced that it had established a 10 member search committee to expedite the search for a new president.

Furthermore, the committee included Utah Tech and Utah Board of Higher Education trustees faculty, staff, students, alumni, administration and the local community, all of which will decide who the new president is.

These members were:

  • Danny Ipson, search committee co-chair and Utah Board of Higher Education member
  • Deven Macdonald, search committee co-chair and Utah Tech board of trustees member
  • Wendi Bulkley, Utah Tech director of community relations and athletic development officer
  • Jennifer Ciaccio, Utah Tech Faculty Senate president-elect and biology professor
  • Jon Cox, UBHE member
  • Bella Estes, Utah Tech student body president
  • Dan Nielson, alumni, Utah Tech administrator, Coral Desert Surgery Center administrator
  • Rich Nye, Utah governor’s senior adviser of education
  • Tasha Toy, assistant vice president and chief compliance officer at Utah Tech
  • John Willis, St. George city manager

In the email, the UBHE stated they understood the importance of this transition and, “want to reassure you that every effort is being made to select a president who will lead by example, elevate UT’s mission of innovation, strengthen the campus community, and further advance hands-on, student-focused learning.”

Moreover, on Jan. 9, UBHE held a Committee of the Whole meeting, during which they discussed the reasoning behind creating a new committee.

Utah System of Higher Education board member, Javier Chavez Jr., said they were determined to reconstitute a new committee to have a fresh perspective and fresh start.

Chavez said: “The search committee is proceeding on an expedited basis with the goal to appoint a new president by early March. That area of the state, that community, that university requires the care and attention for a president; therefore, the decision has been made to expedite the search. I want to reiterate by no less, does that mean that it’s a hurried search.”

With the formation of the new committee, a expedited timeline was also created, which proposed a new president by March 2025. However, the committee was not the only thing that changed with the presidential search. The presidential position details and requirements were updated when the search was announced.

The new, largest change made was lowering the minimum education requirement for prospective presidents. Now, applicants are no longer required to hold a doctorate and can maintain a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

“There are things we are still not happy with,” Hall said. “One thing we are very displeased about is that they changed the qualifications.”

While a graduate degree is still preferred, the minimum qualification could change the application pool significantly, creating the possibility that most of the faculty would be more educated than the president.

Estes said the qualification changed to broaden the overall scope. She said the committee would still do its due diligence and ensure the new president has leadership experience and upholds the university’s values.

“I would anticipate some people being frustrated, but I’m not quite sure because we wouldn’t know who that applicant is yet, so I can’t speak on it,” Estes said.

Once the committee narrows down to three to five finalist candidates, they will come to Utah Tech to meet with different stakeholders. Estes said these stakeholders represent different perspectives on campus and around the community.

“Those groups in those stakeholder groups get to share their feedback on those three to five candidates,” Estes said.

As the student representative on the search committee, Estes was advised to pick 10-12 students to represent the student body.

“I wanted to pick students who represent different areas, so I picked my UTSA executive council because they oversee different branches,” Estes said. “Then I chose student groups who oversee a large number of students in different branches.”

She also picked a student representative from the Peer Coach program who works with first-year students, a representative from the Ambassador Program who works with prospective students, and a representative from the Alumni Ambassadors. Estes said once the stakeholders met, USHE would pick a finalist who may come speak at the university.

“I appreciate everyone’s patience on this. This has been a very sensitive challenging topic,” Chavez said. “The system [of higher education’s] goal is that the people of Utah win, the students win.”

The university has experienced a myriad of changes over a short period of time. If students, faculty and staff have concerns about the presidential search, they are encouraged to provide anonymous feedback through the USHE form listed on the presidential search website.

Biannual Club Rush encourages students to get involved on campus

From K-pop to accounting, chess to Taylor Swift, there is something for everyone on the campus of Utah Tech University. At the beginning of each semester, clubs all across campus get the opportunity to showcase what they are about and try to draw in new members at the biannual Club Rush.

At 9 a.m. on Jan. 15, the sidewalks along the Gardner Student Center, also known as the diagonal, were buzzing with high energy and excitement as the event began. A handful of tables were playing music and many more were decorated with bright colors and flags, making the atmosphere burst with life and excitement.

Mike Nelson, director for student belonging, was present to ensure all was running smoothly.

“The big goal for me personally is to give the students an opportunity to connect and find their people… we want to be able to connect them with the interests that they have,” Nelson said.

In total, 75 clubs were present at the event, a handful of which included Birds Aren’t Real, the Latter-day Saint Student Association, the Utah Tech Pasefika Student Union and the ASL Club. 

Birds Aren’t Real president, Nick Fajardo, a senior history education major from St. George, was rallying his troops at the event. The group focuses on community events that center on bonding and providing a fun space for everyone to come and meet new people.

They hold karaoke and PowerPoint nights and spend the majority of their time jokingly plotting against the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds. Their club name is also their mantra.

“We are taking the gaslighting to a whole new level, especially when it comes to SUU men’s basketball…” Fajardo said. “We’re gonna have a lot of signs and posters.”

Another group on campus that focuses on community events is the Latter-day Saint Student Association. They were serving hot chocolate to combat the icy cold weather.

President Alex Johnson, a sophomore hotel and resort management major from Noblesville, Indiana, said their activities are focused on inclusion.

“We like to help others kind of feel included on campus,” Johnson said. “We do a lot of collaboration with other clubs and try to build service opportunities. We do lots of food based activities as well… Anyone who wants fast friends, definitely come over to this club.”

The Pasefika Student Union had one of the most lively booths at the event, with their table decorated with various Polynesian flags and music to attract passers-by.

“We are doing a showcase [this semester], where every PSU club in all the colleges in Utah come together and we all dance,” said social media manager Kayla Talauega, a freshman computer science major from Draper. “I think the big overarching [event] is the Poly games that we’re doing.”

The ASL Club was present as well, and their focus is teaching sign language to those who want to learn.

“We love new people,” said money manager Olivia Evans, a junior ASL and English interpreting major from Salt Lake City. “Even if you don’t know how to sign, just come on over.”

The club recently elected a new president, and they are most excited to see all the new faces who will come to their club next semester.   

Each club expressed similar advice for anyone who was unsure about joining a club, and that was to just show up and go for it.

“I think you should just go do it, like just show up,” Fajardo said. “That’s like 90% of the battle. Just come get our food, and like, at least it’ll make us happy and you happy.”

Happiness was definitely in the air at this semester’s club rush, and each group was excited for the new semester and the fun to come. There are over 100 clubs on campus, and if you didn’t get the chance to go, you can find each of them here

Silent Disco: Fresh, new event students simply can’t get enough of

With the flashing disco lights and glowing headphones, students at Utah Tech University danced the night away at Silent Disco Jan. 10.

While the event began at 9 p.m., students embraced the cold in a line that ran out of the Student Activity Center and toward the Human Performance Center 15 minutes before it started. Speakers were set up outside, which even further pumped up the attendees as they all sang along to their favorite tunes in anticipation of the event.

This was the first time Silent Disco was created by the Utah Tech Student Association as a new addition to the event calendar. At the event, students were given headphones as they entered the door. On these headphones was the option to change between three different music channels, and depending on the channel, the headphones would light up different colors: red, blue or green. The red channel played today’s hits, the blue was a live student DJ and the green offered throwbacks.

Breonna Bingham, a senior recreation and sports management major from Salina and UTSA social events director, was an event planner from UTSA for Silent Disco. She said the inspiration was to create a dance experience for the students, something many may not have experienced before. With funding for the event from student fees, attendees were able to attend at no charge.

“It’s a mission of the student life team to create weekly events to provide students with no-cost social activities to accompany their academic experience while at Utah Tech,” Bingham said.

Isabella Budge, a freshman biology major from Gresham, Oregon, was persuaded to attend the event because of her roommates but found the event to be enjoyable. She said it was cool to be listening through individual headphones to songs that were shared amongst the crowd.

“It’s a good break [from school] because you’re hanging out with a bunch of your peers, and it’s a good way to meet people,” Budge said.

At the event, a room overlooking the gym dance floor was decorated with disco balls, and drinks were offered to anyone who needed a break from dancing. If dancing wasn’t someone’s forte, there were also tabletop games set up in the room. However, for some, it was enjoyable to see the different channels everyone was listening to.

Daniel Osorio, a sophomore software engineering major from Bogota, Colombia, said he walked around enjoying the music, meeting up with friends and simply dancing to the music playing.

“It’s the first week of classes, and it’s already a bit overwhelming,” Osorio said. “When I heard about the silent disco and some of my teachers confirmed what it was, I decided to give it a try. Honestly, it’s better than I expected.”

At the front of the room, the DJ controlled the music playing on the three channels. When popular songs like “Dancing Queen” by ABBA would play, the room was filled with voices singing along to the music from the headphones. While the event was titled Silent Disco, oftentimes, the room was filled with singing, laughing and the sound of people dancing.

“If it [depended] on me, I would make this a monthly event because, with all the academic toll, listening to music and chilling around, it’s pretty nice,” Osorio said.

EDITORIAL | Enough is enough: We deserve administrators who take accountability

The “zuweenie” is just the tip of the iceberg—what seems like a harmless joke barely scratches the surface of a lawsuit against the Utah Tech University administration about racial comments, misconduct and toxic work environments. 

If this was just about the “zuweenie” incident, it wouldn’t have been a whole ordeal. However, the names signed on the “zuweenie” were people who had no idea about it and didn’t consent to having their names signed.

Because this isn’t the first time within the past eight years that faculty or staff members have sued the administration, all under Richard “Biff” Williams’ presidency, this is an unprofessional and embarrassing look for our university that we once had pride in. Yet, we are concerned administrators will receive no consequences for creating toxic work environments.

Background 

The Salt Lake Tribune published an article Nov. 8 that said employees Hazel Sainsbury, director of equity compliance and Title IX coordinator, Rebecca Broadbent, general counselor who hasn’t been allowed to return to her position in nine months, and Jared Rasband, senior associate general counsel, filed against:

  • Richard “Biff” Williams, previous Utah Tech president 
  • Jordon Sharp, vice president of marketing and communication 
  • Del Beatty, vice president of student affairs
  • Michael Lacourse, provost and vice president of academic affairs
  • Henrie Walton, interim chief of staff, BOT secretary and assistant to president for government and community relations 
  • Tiffany Wilson, chair of the Utah Tech board of trustees 
  • Utah Tech University
  • Geoff Landward, commissioner for USHE, UBHE and OCHE
  • Utah Board of Higher Education 
  • Utah System of Higher Education
  • Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
  • Alison Adams, general counsel for the UBHE, USHE and OCHE
  • Eric Pedersen, professor of software engineering and previously a dean
  • Matt Black, photographer and videographer
  • Jyl Hall, director of public relations
  • Jared Madsen, director of university design and branding 
  • Stacy Schmidt, assistant director of public relations
  • Brooke Ulrich, director of university events and promotions
  • Travis Rosenberg, executive director of human resources
  • Courtney White, interim president and previously chief of staff

The 42-page report includes allegations of resistance, intimidation, harassment and retaliation. This includes the unknowing signing of the three plaintiffs on the note with the “zuweenie,” mockery of Title IX, Broadbent’s wrongful put on leave, obscene and vulgar quotes on a public break room wall, harassment from mandatory reporting, verbal abuse and discrimination based on Sainsbury’s race. 

Embarrassing and concerning

It’s difficult to have pride in our university when lawsuits over hostile environments are filed every couple of years, yet these administrative individuals remain working here. 

Despite lawsuits and a push for change, nothing ever changes. 

We don’t see the consequences that should be mandatory concerning misconduct and toxicity. Provost Lacourse was said to be “put on leave,” and women’s basketball coach J.D. Gustin was given a two-week suspension. There are no consequences for these men.

Email Interim President Courtney White sent about Provost Lacourse Sept. 25, 2024. Nowhere in this email does it give any hint as to what he is accused of or why he is on leave.

Right now, Utah Tech does not have a good appearance. When Googling our university, lawsuits and allegations against current faculty and staff arise.

Googling “utah tech university” on Nov. 13, 2024.

This is not only embarrassing to say this is where we go to school but also concerning for our future careers. 

The entire point of changing Utah Tech’s name was to assist in the hiring process after graduation. However, with lawsuits like this, our school looks like a joke.

Future employers will not take us seriously if all our school is known for is lawsuits against the administration. It doesn’t establish a credible education for us as students. 

With Title IX matters not being taken seriously by administrators, how can students expect their situations to be handled and protected? How can students trust who is making decisions about what is labeled as “important” to report and what is not, or the fact that allegations aren’t even taken seriously and are made a mockery of?

Williams has since released his apology, while those being sued have declined to comment to Sun News. The same public relations statement that every other news organization has is what we were given. 

It’s ironic that the people who give out public statements are the people who are also being sued right now. It doesn’t make sense that the people being sued are also the people issuing the public statement.

Repeated pattern 

Even after stepping down as president in January, Williams received payment from Utah Tech until he obtained his position at Missouri State University. Where are his consequences for condoning toxicity at our university? He gets money from Utah Tech and a new job like nothing ever happened.

Under Williams’ presidency, Gustin was also sued yet faced only a two-week suspension and still works in his position.

In 2018, two professors were fired and found not guilty, and they said they were not given fairness in their terminations before being found not guilty. 

In 2016, a professor was terminated and found not guilty on his accounts, in which he sued for wrongful termination and received a settlement. 

Sainsbury, Broadbent and Rasband have also since released their thoughts, and it’s ridiculous and disgusting they are still facing retaliation.

The pattern here is undeniable. Administration is sued. The same people get practically no consequences and continue their work at Utah Tech. 

The change we want to see 

It’s unfortunate that when lawsuits come out against Utah Tech, we have to hear about it from The Salt Lake Tribune when students are simply told Provost Lacourse was put on leave, or President Williams was stepping down when that’s not the truth. There is zero accountability from these administrators.  

We now see that this lawsuit contributes to what’s keeping our university from hiring a permanent president, which is what we need.

We need someone who hasn’t previously been associated with Utah Tech. A clean house is what needs to happen. No one mentioned in this lawsuit should be considered for our next president because we need someone who can speak up when something is wrong, be transparent and take accountability.

We’d rather have the time taken to find candidates outside of Utah Tech than have a president associated with these allegations, who knew about them but chose to remain silent or anyone who has knowingly mishandled Title IX cases.

We surely don’t feel comfortable with anyone on this list of individuals being sued to be our next president. In fact, those named who purposefully created hostile environments, made fun of Title IX and made racial comments should be fired. 

There’s no reason why a new president, found outside the Utah Tech community, can’t turn the page and create an entirely new work environment here. We want to see a future free of racism, retaliation and toxicity.

Lawsuit against Utah Tech administrators—Title IX breaches

Title IX is a federal law that protects faculty, staff and students from discrimination, sexual and non-sexual harassment and retaliation.

The specific details of this law change depending on the university, and each university may have a different statement surrounding Title IX. Utah Tech University specifically states that the university is committed to maintaining a safe environment where everyone in the community is treated with respect and dignity.

What happens when a law designed to protect those in an educational setting repeatedly fails?

On Nov. 9, ABC4 News released a 42-page lawsuit that named administrative faculty and staff members at Utah Tech. The lawsuit stems from a series of Title IX breaches, but the final straw for the plaintiffs was a “gag gift” sent from former president Richard “Biff” Williams.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that this gift included two homegrown eggplants and Williams’ record-breaking zucchini placed strategically to represent a phallus. Williams did not sign his own name on the gift. Instead, he signed the gift—without their consent—from three employees:

  • Rebecca “Becky” Broadbent, general counsel
  • Jared Rasband, senior associate general counsel
  • Hazel Sainsbury, director of equity compliance and Title IX coordinator

Many of the incidents outlined in the lawsuit include inappropriate signage on the walls of an office, racially charged jokes and retaliation for reporting these incidents to Title IX.

The Salt Lake Tribune met with the three plaintiffs, Broadbent, Rasband and Sainsbury, which is the first time the three spoke to a news source about their lawsuit against Utah Tech.

As the Title IX director, Sainsbury told The Tribune the gift had completely undermined everything she does at Utah Tech.

Sainsbury said: “What kind of victim is going to approach my office if they believe that I participate in these types of vulgar jokes? How would a victim feel [confident] in my work?”

Reporting cases of harassment is protected under this federal law, meaning they should not face retaliation for reporting breaches of Title IX.

However, after filing the lawsuit, Broadbent was placed on leave and has been away from her office for nine months, forced to turn in her laptop and key cards. The university still has not made a statement about Broadbent.

Rasband told The Tribune he had to watch Broadbent get escorted off campus by two human resources officials with only a five minute notice of her suspension.

“She’s sitting there in tears, completely shocked and taken aback,” Rasband said.

In the article, Broadbent said during her leave, no one at the university checked on her, which has proven to be a very difficult time period.

“There’s a heavy burden for any complainant that brings forward concerns that they feel they have been subjected to misconduct,” Broadbent said.

Meanwhile, Williams, who is a defendant in the report, stepped down from his position at Utah Tech in January. After stepping down, Williams was able to live in the presidential home rent-free for six months, as stated in the lawsuit, and was paid from Utah Tech until he obtained his position at Missouri State University.

The lawsuit reports that Broadbent spoke to Williams about her concerns; however, he was dismissive and attempted to manipulate and silence her about her concerns, assuring her she was “loved and part of the family.”

Sainsbury told The Tribune she was subjected to racist jokes by administrators because “the institution was not prepared for someone like me to do the work so effectively… They’ve attributed malice to my work and compared me to a previous Black administrator that they found to be problematic.”

The Utah System of Higher Education is also named in the lawsuit. This is because after the three plaintiffs reported their concerns, USHE intentionally avoided the policies, processes and timelines that should have been afforded to the plaintiffs as employees of public institutions of higher education.

Broadbent told The Tribune, “They [USHE] need to stop covering up bad behavior, stop paying off bad actors and start owning up to the need to provide proper oversight of presidents and their administrators.”

Jordon Sharp, Julie Chew, Tasha Toy, Travis Rosenberg, Tiffany Wilson and Henrie Walton declined to interview with Sun News Daily about the incidents of the lawsuit.

The 42-page report states that Sharp and other team members of the University Marketing and Communications department shared a group chat, replying to the “gag gift.”

Jyl Hall, director of public relations and defendant in the lawsuit, said in a statement that UMAC is aware of the complaint filed against Utah Tech and is committed to working with all parties to reach a resolution.

Part of the statement said: “The University takes all allegations seriously. We have been actively following established university procedures to thoroughly review any concerns brought to the University’s attention, including hiring neutral third-party professionals to evaluate these complaints, and are taking necessary steps as appropriate.”

Nearly a week after ABC4 News released the 42-page lawsuit document, Courtney White, Utah Tech interim president, addressed faculty and staff:

This email was sent specifically to faculty and staff at the university, meaning students not working for Utah Tech still have not received a statement, which made some students discouraged by the consistent lack of integrity of the university faculty.

Savanna Romero, a senior English major from St. George, said, “It’s kinda sad to me that we deal with this as students, but the issues are a byproduct of immaturity because our highest faculty also don’t know how to act appropriately.”

The lack of accountability is a recurring issue the plaintiffs face. The Tribune reported that the three plaintiffs never pictured themselves in this situation, nor did they want to file the lawsuit.

“There just needs to be accountability,” Sainsbury said. “That’s what’s been missing out of this whole thing… We have great people at Utah Tech who have devoted themselves to our students, and they deserve a productive, safe place to work.”

The Utah Tech chapter of the American Federation of Teachers responded to this lawsuit Nov. 13.

The press release states the AFT “strongly condemns all such practices and actions by individuals or governing bodies, past, present and future… Any individual, regardless of position in the university or its governing bodies, who is proven to engage in a pattern of discriminatory, unethical, or illegal actions or who engages in continued behaviors that create a toxic, unsafe, and hostile environment—including retaliatory actions—is unfit to work at or on behalf of Utah Tech University.”

James Stein, associate professor of communications, is not connected to the lawsuit but wanted to voice his frustrations. He stated faculty was never informed of this incident, despite asking repeatedly what happened when Williams stepped down, as well as when Micheal Lacourse, provost and vice president of student affairs, was placed on leave.

The reason why Lacourse was placed on leave is still unknown, though it is said in the lawsuit he was verbally abusive to Sainsbury. In one meeting, Lacourse allegedly, “pointed a finger at Sainsbury and aggressively slammed his fist on the table, demanding to know ‘who do you think you are!'”

Stein said he was simply angry that this was happening, and believed he had an obligation to speak out for those who could not.

“As a person with ‘power’ in this university, it is my obligation to do more than just pretend none of this is happening because that is how we got here in the first place,” Stein said.

A month after Williams stepped down, White was named the interim president, and Stein said this should have been a more comprehensive search because of the pattern of behavior shown by the current administration.

“When we were looking for an interim president, we just went, ‘Who’s available?’ and it turned out to be somebody who is also named in the lawsuit,” Stein said. “Instead of doing a comprehensive search and unpacking why the president stepped down, and who would be a better fit to replace them, don’t you think maybe, perhaps, if we have this pattern of men engaging in inappropriate behavior, then we need a more diverse perspective on leadership?”

He said that the university needs to look elsewhere for the next president and the pattern of inappropriate behavior proves that.

“If the men in this community have proven that they are incapable of leading, then maybe its time for women to lead, for people who aren’t from this town to lead,” Stein said.

Rasband said the new president needs to be somebody with moral courage who will not be afraid to hold people accountable if their behavior does not meet expectations.

Broadbent said it needs to be someone who “is not part of the existing boys club [and will] hold people accountable to the values and the policies the university espouses, so when we recruit in students and employees it’s not a facade.”

A court date has not been released to the public. Title IX is a federal law that protects everyone from situations like these, and students can still report if they are being discriminated against or harassed.

New Utah Tech event, Mic Drop, encourages students to share talents

The microphone was open to all, waiting on stage for singers, musicians and comedians to take their turn in the spotlight. The performers looked out on a dimly lit room covered in lanterns of all shapes and sizes, with people spread out on couches clapping along to music or laughing at jokes.

This event, hosted Nov. 13, is Mic Drop. Mic Drop is new to the Utah Tech University campus, taking inspiration from an annual Open Mic Night at Utah State University, and they lit the area with lanterns like a past event at Utah Tech called the Festival of Lamps.

“It allows students to sign up and have their voices be heard. They’re able to come up and they’re able to sing, they’re able to do their own comedy,” Asher Anderson, a senior marketing major from Mesa, Arizona, and director of live events for Utah Tech Student Association, said.

There are several events that involve live performances, but they are more limited than this event. Coffee and Comedy was hosted recently, but they hired professionally and Live and Local allows student bands to perform, but spots are limited. This event has more spots and opportunities for students to perform where they otherwise couldn’t.

There were 14 people who performed at the event ranging from comedians to musical performances. Each was more different than the last. The event started with an almost full audience, but the crowd slowly got smaller as the performances went on until there were about 20 people left.

“I just really love open mic events, and I just love singing,” Sydney McClellan, a sophomore graphic design major from Salt Lake City, said. “And so, when an event like this comes around, I always try to work up the courage to come to this.”

McClellan was one of the performers for the event. She played the piano and sang “Stay” by Rihanna, “Jealous” by Labrinth and one of her own songs.

There were also members of the community present both on and off stage. One person who performed is an 85-year-old institute teacher, Ava Fry. She teaches a class called “How to Become a Clean Stand-up Comedian,” and said she performed her stand-up act at the request of her students.

The set-up of the event was comfortable with couches set up down the center of the Gardner Ballroom and lamps contributing to dim lighting. There was also popcorn and lemonade served, so people could snack while they watched the performers.

“I thought it was very well set up,” Sarah Witt, a junior media studies major from Heber City, said. “They had a very distinct vibe in here and it made it really, really fun. Honestly, it was probably one of my new favorite events.”

The audience was very supportive of the performers on stage, especially when they struggled with the words or tune. They would cheer louder to support those nervous performers, and the performers were able to get through their songs easier than if the crowd had stayed silent.

“I think that supporting local and small arts like this is especially important for college students because so many kids are moving out here without an outlet to do that,” David Garrett, manager at Mary’s Cheesecakes in St. George, said. Garrett heard about the event through social media and has enjoyed coming to activities that involve live music.

Anderson said this event might continue next year, depending on student response, to allow even more students the opportunity to showcase their talents and potentially become a new Utah Tech tradition.

Women’s leadership event empowers future Trailblazers

Compared to men, there are very few women in leadership positions, which is why several organizations came together to host a leadership conference called “Unmute Yourself: The Urgency of Women’s Leadership” Nov. 8. Another event called “Pack + Party” was held on Nov. 7 that focused on making period kits for students in need.

Organizations that helped organize these two events are:

Nina Barnes, Utah Women Run representative for southern Utah, helped start this conference eight years ago. She has served on city, university and state councils prior to her current position.

Barnes said: “I just realized there were not a lot of women there with me [in leadership positions]. We needed to elevate the voices of women, families and children and have them heard as we make decisions for leadership in southern Utah. They were missing.”

Barnes said this event is meant to bring women in leadership positions together to talk to other women about their stories, barriers they found in getting to where they are right now, and how they overcame them and the possibility of change.

Amber Williams, a director of finance for real estate and attendee of the event, said, “It’s good motivation and a reminder of what we’re working toward and just to stay motivated and inspired to go on and make connections with other women who are doing work in the community.”

Women of all ages and careers were present at the conference to hear the messages that these successful women presented. They talked during the breaks, making connections with other women to learn about leadership.

This conference featured several women in leadership positions as speakers such as:

  • Tami Pyfer, chief of staff and vice president of external affairs for UNITE, a national organization that works to bridge culture and politics, and is co-creator of the Dignity Index, an eight-point scale used to measure the level of dignity and contempt in language used during disagreements.
  • Becky Edwards, a previous member of the House of Representatives from 2008-2019 and founder of The Governing Group, a group that works to help Republican candidates run for office in Utah.
  • Melinda Pfundstein, the executive director of community and workforce development at Southern Utah University.
  • Emily Bell McCormick, founder and president of The Policy Project, an organization that creates policy solutions to solve problems. Projects they have include The Focused Student Project, The Safe Child Project and The Period Project.
  • Ali Mulhall, who is a 19-year-old golf champion with 371 national tournament titles.
  • Shirlee Draper, chief operating officer of Cherish Families, a non-profit organization that serves people from polygamous backgrounds by providing support services for trauma and helping them gain their independence.

Several other women talked, including a keynote speaker, Congresswoman Celeste Maloy, who represents Utah’s second district and serves on the House of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and House Committee of Small Business. Maloy discussed a lesson on leadership she learned early on from her mom.

“If I ever didn’t get my homework done on time, or got into a scrape, or was fighting with my friends, whatever, my mom would not bail me out. She’s not a helicopter mom,” Maloy said. “My mom would say, ‘Well, you’re smart, figure it out.’ And it drove me crazy, but I think it’s the reason I’m standing here today.”

This message taught her to solve problems and set her up for success in leadership positions.

“I think sometimes we act like women have to do something special and feminine to be leaders. We are all special and feminine just by being women. All we have to do to be leaders is believe that we’re smart, and we can figure it out and apply the skills we’ve all been learning our whole lives,” Maloy said.

The room was packed full, and people were attentive to the speakers, several taking notes. Many asked questions during the panel section with Maloy and Pyfer. The talks and questions had an overall message of women supporting women.

While not many college students were in attendance, it was an important message for them as well.

“Our young people on campus particularly need to see the potential within themselves and that they belong in those spaces and in the rooms where decisions are made and budgets are decided and rules or laws are made,” Barnes said.

The overall message of the conference was to support each other in leadership and that women need more representation in these roles.

Maloy said: “There are two kinds of successful women. There’s the queen bee type who gets to a position and then burns the bridge behind them because they want to look like they’re special and they’re the only ones who could have ever done what they did. And then there are the type who go and pave the bridge behind them and invite other people to come along and try to make it easier and easier for someone else to get where they are.”