PULLMAN, Wash. — Three members of the Washington State University's (WSU) Police Department are leaving their jobs following disciplinary action for failing to advise university leadership of an officer alleged to have engaged in sexual activities while on duty in 2020.
Police Chief Bill Gardner, Assistant Chief Steve Hansen and Capt. Mike Larsen announced their retirement after being served notice in late July of pending disciplinary action.
The university is reporting these matters to the state agency that certifies law enforcement officers in Washington, according to a press release.
WSU Police Sgt. Matt Kuhrt is facing disciplinary proceedings after allegedly engaging in inappropriate activity while on duty and on Pullman campus property. The university has not yet made any determinations of responsibility in the officer’s case.
Kuhrt has been on home assignment since March 2022 when the earlier allegations were first brought to the attention of university leaders by WSU Police Department employees. Joint investigations by the Office of Compliance and Civil Rights (CCR) and Human Resource Services (HRS) were also launched.
“These are positions of great public trust and WSU will not tolerate this kind of behavior nor the negligence of departmental command staff,” WSU President Kirk Schulz said in a written statement. “When university leadership recently became aware of these allegations and the questionable way they had been handled earlier within the department, we immediately initiated a full investigation.”
Following the allegations, WSU Police Department has named new police command staff for the Pullman campus.
Retired Pullman Police Department (PPD) chief Gary Jenkins will serve as interim chief of the WSU Police Department. WSU Police Sgt. Dawn Daniels, who served temporarily as acting chief, will be promoted to assistant chief. Victoria Murray, executive director for finance and administration, is serving as acting associate vice president for public safety.
“We expect the highest degree of integrity and character within our police force and WSU is thankful for the commitment these individuals have shown in stepping up to help,” Vice President for Finance and Administration Stacy Pearson said. “The entire WSU community is fortunate to have leaders with this kind of experience and willingness to serve.”
Background information:
A WSU police officer notified the WSU Police Department command staff of third-hand allegations against Kuhrt back in December 2020, according to the press release.
According to the press release, the officer received information from a third party who initially advised of possible nonconsensual sexual activity. However, the person later contacted the officer to clarify that it had been consensual but said it happened while Kuhrt was on his shift.
KREM 2 confirmed with WSU officials that the person involved with Kuhrt was an adult and not a student.
Despite the claims, which included reports of sexual activities in the presidential suite at Martin Stadium and at the WSU Observatory, the command staff failed to advise CCR as required by WSU policy, the press release stated.
Instead, the WSU police command staff conducted a departmental investigation and couldn't locate a witness willing to file a complaint against the officer.
The investigation concluded that there was not enough evidence to take substantial personnel action. The officer did, however, face departmental action for misconduct while on duty.
On July 15, based on the results of the joint investigations, the duties of the chief, assistant chief and captain were reassigned to others, and the three members of the department’s command staff were placed on home assignment.
The university advised the command staff that disciplinary proceedings were being initiated against them based on the investigation’s findings that they exhibited gross misconduct, incompetence and neglect of duty in their response to the claims of sexual misconduct involving the officer, according to the press release.
All three members of the command staff announced their retirement before the formal disciplinary process concluded and are helping to ensure an orderly leadership transition.
The findings of the joint investigations will remain in their WSU records and be available to future employers should they seek employment elsewhere.
Disciplinary proceedings against Kuhrt are continuing and will include a formal hearing conducted in conformity with Title IX, which is the federal regulation prohibiting discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex in educational programs and settings.
The university has made no final determinations related to the officer, who is presumed not responsible until the hearing process is completed.
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