In a YouTube live stream, Denise Bennett, a University of Idaho professor, read the terms and conditions of her recent administrative leave, lambasting university policies, administration and Journalism and Mass Media employees.
Bennett said she received official documentation of her leave Tuesday from the post office, five days after receiving news over the phone from Dean Sean Quinlan she would be placed on leave until further notice.
The full video can be found here.
“You are being placed on administrative leave because of your unprofessional conduct with myself and another university employee, specifically the actions of raising your voice and accosting a university employee, who was attempting to perform the functions of her job,” read the letter from Quinlan, according to what Bennett read in the live stream.
During the broadcast, Bennett called those behind the decision “F—king fascists,” in reference to the policy banning her from contacting JAMM students and employees.
In the letter, Quinlan said Bennett also repeated similar unprofessional behavior toward him during a phone call Jan. 24.
“During our conversation, you stated three separate times that you would not cease interacting with university employees in this manner,” Bennett read via live stream from Quinlan’s letter.
The live stream took place on MLH Films’ YouTube page, which is run by Michael Louis Huffstutler, a former UI student and employee.
Bennett also wrote an email, using all-caps and expletives throughout, to explain her frustration regarding around $450 unspent from a grant project that expired in December. Bennett provided the full email to The Argonaut.
A full copy of the email can be found here. (Note: This email contains profanity)
In the email, Bennett blasted the university for mishandling many different situations, including exiting the Western Athletic Conference and hiring Ernesto Bustamante, the eventual killer of UI student Katy Benoit.
“THE ADMINISTRATION HERE IS SUCH A JOKE I CANNOT FORCE MY SELF TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY ANY LONGER,” she wrote. “THE STATE BOARD IS F–KED, LOOK HOW MANY PRESIDENTS WE GO THROUGH. EDUCATION IS IDAHO IS RANKED 49 OUT OF 50 STATES, YOU THINK LEGISLATORS OR BOARDS GIVE A S–T?
Bennett defended her communication. She said using expletives and all-caps was an effective strategy in getting the attention of the recipients.
Posters calling for Bennett’s reinstatement were posted around the JAMM offices. Alex Brizee | Argonaut
During her administrative leave, Quinlan said Bennett will not be able to access her university accounts and was urged against appearing on campus. She will, however, receive full pay and benefits while on leave. Quinlan did not provide a timeline for her leave.
In addition to the letter, Quinlan included the official university policy regarding retaliation against employees and students. Despite this, Quinlan wrote the actions taken against Bennett were not disciplinary.
“It is a violation of University policy for any employee to engage in retaliatory conduct, which includes conduct that intimidates, threatens, coerces, or retaliates against any individual because that individual reports a perceived wrongdoing, inequity, or violation of law or UI policy, files a complaint alleging illegal or prohibited discrimination, participates in a grievance or appeals procedure, or participates in a dispute resolution through Human Resources or the Office of the Ombuds,” according to the UI Faculty Staff Handbook 3810.
Quinlan did not explicitly state if any specific complaints had been filed against Bennett.
Emily Davis, an administrator of the “REINSTATE DENISE BENNETT” Facebook page, said she was one of the more than 70 viewers of the broadcast.
“She is passionate, she is angry, she is confused, and she just wants to do what is in the best interest of her students,” she said. “People need answers. Students need answers. Nobody has given us answers, so she gave it to us.”
Students have planned a silent sit-in protest at the CLASS offices in the Administration Building for Wednesday at noon. According to the CLASS Office Sit-in Facebook page, 16 students plan to attend.
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 100 students joined the “REINSTATE DENISE BENNETT” Facebook page and 730 people have signed the petition to reinstate Bennett.
UPDATE: 4 p.m., Jan. 29
An email from UI President Chuck Staben sent to faculty and staff Monday afternoon outlined a need to “keep out values in mind as we do important work.” The email was sent shortly after the conclusion of Bennett’s live stream.
“We recently have seen concerning behavior within our university community – perhaps it mirrors the tone of communication in our national discourse,” Staben wrote. “This is not behavior we condone at the University of Idaho.”
The president continued to explain the balance of an employee’s right to free speech and the right to a safe work environment.
“Behavior that endangers safety or that interferes with the working environment (i.e. belittling, insulting, yelling and other forms of aggression), no matter the context, is not protected speech,” he wrote.
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected].
The Argonaut will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
Editor’s Note: As many Argonaut employees are students in the University of Idaho Journalism and Mass Media Department, no Argonaut employee who has previously worked with Denise Bennett, as part of their curriculum, has or will report on this developing story. It is our mission as a staff to report university and community news with fairness and transparency.
Kwasi
University of Idaho will do everything in it's power to destroy you and your life (and they are very good at it). I have and continue to face nothing but problems from this terrible institution. If you are a minority choosing to get an education from the University of Idaho please strongly reconsider your choice, please.
Elaine Ambrose
I’m a journalism graduate from the U of I. I’m grateful this illiterate, profane fool wasn’t my instructor.
Jefferson
That anyone would suggest Sean Quinlan is a fascist shows such a spectacular lack of character as to make that person completely disreputable.
Tamikka
I agree with Denise on the gross incompetence of our administration...but her response is perhaps the most gross. I feel sorry for any staff that have to interact with her on a daily basis - yikes. She needs to go just as Staben and other administrators need to go.
Jared
It's an emblematic irony if this communications professor thinks the best way to handle a professional disagreement is to basically tell the entire university to go F itself. Oh yeah, well done. *golf clap*
Shane
No doubt the University has shown the common incompetence of a large organization. However, if this email and video were here responses, she lack the professional acumen to work at the UofI. Maybe she could BSU prof.