The complaint was filed on behalf of three Utah Tech employees. Together, they say that Richard “Biff” Williams, then president of Utah Tech, arranged two eggplants and a zucchini in the shape of a penis. Williams referred to the design as a “zuweenie,” and left behind a note signed in the names of three plaintiffs, identified as Rebecca Broadbent, Jared Rasband, and Hazel Sainsbury.
An unusual lawsuit accuses the recently-appointed president of Missouri State University of arranging vegetables into crude shapes while serving as the head of Utah Tech.
According to the Springfield News-Leader, the complaint was filed on behalf of three Utah Tech employees. Together, they say that Richard “Biff” Williams, then president of Utah Tech, arranged two eggplants and a zucchini in the shape of a penis.
Williams referred to the design as a “zuweenie,” and left behind a note signed in the names of three plaintiffs, identified as Rebecca Broadbent, Jared Rasband, and Hazel Sainsbury.
“Dear Jordan,” Williams wrote in the falsely signed letter, “We wanted to wish you well as you recover from your outpatient procedure. We thought some delicious produce from our garden would help you with your recovery. Here are two delicious eggplants and our award-winning zucchini, or as we like to call it, our ‘zuweenie.’ All the best with your recovery.”
The letter was followed by “sincerely,” signed in the three plaintiffs’ names, and left on the front porch of Utah Tech’s vice president, who was recovering from a surgical procedure.
The News-Leader notes that, at the time of the incident, Broadbent was serving as Utah Tech’s general counsel, whereas Rasband was senior associate general counsel and Sainsbury was the school’s Title IX coordinator and the director of equity compliance.
One of the plaintiffs learned of the incident only after the vice president and other university officials joked about the incident at a luncheon.
“The plaintiff was shocked, embarrassed, and humiliated by this unexpected encounter in the presence of a group of administrators senior to him on campus and at the hands of two of Utah Tech’s vice pre
sidents,” the lawsuit alleges. “Despite the power differential, The Plaintiff [sic] tried to make clear to this large group of Utah Tech Cabinet members and directors that he and the other members of the OGC and the Title IX Office had nothing to do with this offensive act and it was not something they would ever do.”
The three say that Williams’ apparent prank was but a single expression of the toxic, hostile, and “poison well” of a work environment that he had created.
“While I was [at Utah Tech University], I initiated what I intended to be a humorous gesture toward a member of our staff,” Wiliams wrote in an email statement to the Springfield News-Leader. “I have since come to realize that the prank was not appropriate. This was a mistake. I regret my lapse in judgment and I accept this as a learning moment.”
“This incident is now included in a lawsuit that was shared with the media,” he added. “I apologize for the undue attention this has brought to the university.”
In a separate statement, the school’s Board of Governors said that it is aware of the lawsuit but “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 student, faculty, and staff,” Williams said.
Sources
Missouri State president responds to federal lawsuit over ‘vulgar’ incident at Utah Tech
Missouri State University president facing lawsuit for incident during his time at Utah Tech
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