Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
- Ex-Utah Tech University President Richard "Biff" Williams and other school officials are facing a lawsuit over misconduct allegations.
- Plaintiffs accuse Utah Tech leaders of harassment and retaliation after they filed discrimination complaints.
- Missouri State University, where Williams now serves as president, supports Williams despite the lawsuit; Utah Tech said it is evaluating complaints with "neutral third-party professionals."
ST. GEORGE — Ex-Utah Tech University president Richard "Biff" Williams is facing a lawsuit after leaving a phallic gift on an employee's doorstep and attributing it to three other employees, who are now suing Williams, the university and other high-ranking employees for that incident and a rash of other misconduct allegations that have exhibited a "culture of hostility."
The federal lawsuit, submitted to the Utah District Court last week, was filed by Rebecca Broadbent and Jared Rasband, both of whom serve on the university's general counsel, as well as Hazel Sainsbury, director of equity compliance and the Title IX coordinator at Utah Tech University, who is in charge of responding to complaints of sexual misconduct.
The plaintiffs are alleging, among other things, that Utah Tech's leaders "targeted them, harassed them, defamed them and engaged in abusive conduct toward them," the lawsuit states, in retaliation to the plaintiffs filing charges of discrimination with federal agencies.
Vegetable incident
The 43-page lawsuit alleges that on Nov. 8, 2023, Williams left a display of vegetables arranged to resemble male genitalia, including a long zucchini referred to as a "zuweenie" on the doorstep at the home of another university official who was recovering from a vasectomy at the time.
In a printed note left on the doorstep, the display and note were attributed to Broadbent, Rasband and Sainsbury — though two of their names were misspelled, the lawsuit pointed out — but without their knowledge or consent.
Before dropping off the display, Williams told Courtney White, his chief of staff and additional defendant, that he intended to "drop off a gift" for the employee who had had surgery, implying to White that the gift was going to be something they could laugh about afterward, according to the lawsuit.
After receiving the "zuweenie" display and the accompanying note, the employee didn't contact Broadbent, Rasband or Sainsbury to notify them their names were attributed to the display; he instead sent a group chat to 11 full-time marketing and communications team members that contained a photo of the display, note and home security footage that showed Williams delivering the display and note.
Additionally, the images were also shown at a board of trustees meeting and a luncheon.
Prior to the luncheon, the lawsuit says none of the plaintiffs were made aware of their names being attached to the display, and no other staff members reported the incident to the proper channels.
When confronted about the display and note in front of members of the board of trustees, one of the plaintiffs was "shocked, embarrassed and humiliated," the lawsuit says.
'Resistance, intimidation, harassment and retaliation'
The vegetable display is just one incident in a long pattern of harassment plaintiffs say they've faced at the university, which has "continuously and openly flouted the protections of Title IX," says the lawsuit.
Broadbent, Rasband and Sainsbury, the lawsuit says, "worked hard to establish an environment free from harassment and discrimination. Yet, in doing so, they faced resistance, intimidation, harassment and retaliation from Utah Tech's highest leaders."
The plaintiffs submitted Title IX and Title VII complaints of discrimination, sexual harassment, hostile work environment and retaliation, but the university, along with the Utah System of Higher Education, Utah Board of Higher Education and Geoffrey Landward, commissioner of higher education — all of whom were named as additional defendants in the lawsuit — failed to provide plaintiffs a "timely and adequate remedial process pursuant to university policy" for their complaints, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit also describes the university's and Utah Board of Higher Education's investigation following the aforementioned vegetable incident as a "sham" and "cover-up," saying the plaintiffs' claims against Williams were dismissed after the former president announced his departure since the Utah Board of Higher Education "would no longer have 'jurisdiction' over Williams after he stepped down as president."
Additionally, Courtney White, Utah Tech's interim president and an additional defendant, placed Broadbent on involuntary administrative leave in February this year until the conclusion of the investigation process, which the lawsuit described as an "indeterminate period entirely controlled by the university," while still requiring Broadbent to be available during business hours for the university to contact her.
"Prior to White summarily placing plaintiff Broadbent on leave and banishing her from campus, Utah Tech had never placed a complainant involuntarily on administrative leave. Because plaintiff Broadbent reported and internally grieved misconduct by senior university administrators, she was subjected to an action the university never before imposed on a complainant," said the lawsuit.
The lawsuit further alleges that Rasband has been subjected to an "openly hostile work environment" and has been "frozen out" of duties and left out of other processes.
"As a result of plaintiff Broadbent's banishment, plaintiff Sainsbury has feared that she too will face the same involuntary removal from campus as her former supervisor, plaintiff Broadbent, did if plaintiff Sainsbury complains about her current hostile working conditions," said the lawsuit.
Universities respond
In December 2023, Williams announced he would be stepping down as the university's president to pursue other opportunities after 10 years at the school.
In July, Williams was named the 12th president of Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri.
KSL.com reached out to Missouri State and received the following comment:
"The Board of Governors of Missouri State University is aware of the pending lawsuit and continues to have confidence in President Williams' ability to lead Missouri State University. We are committed to working alongside him to ensure that the University is a safe and welcoming environment to all students, faculty, and staff."
As for Utah Tech, the St. George-based university said it is aware of the complaint and is "committed to working closely with all parties resolved to reach a resolution."
"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," Utah Tech said in a statement. "Due to the ongoing proceedings, we cannot provide additional details at this time. The university remains committed to providing a supportive and productive space of learning and working for all members of our university community."
