WSU police chief, 2 others retire after inquiry

The Washington State University police chief and his two top command staff will retire following an internal investigation that concluded they mishandled a complaint and subsequent punitive action against an officer accused of having sexual relations while on duty at WSU.

Chief of Police Bill Gardner, Assistant Chief Steve Hansen and Capt. Mike Larsen were placed on home assignment in July when WSU launched a formal investigation into the department. The investigation, conducted by the WSU Human Resources department, has since concluded, said Phil Weiler, vice president of marketing and communications. The command staff chose to retire to avoid further administrative action, including the possibility of their employment with the university being terminated.

According to an investigation report acquired by the Moscow-Pullman Daily News through a public records request, the officer at the center of the investigation is Sgt. Matthew Kuhrt, who has been accused of sexual misconduct.

Kuhrt was also placed on home assignment in March, when an officer, who initially notified command staff in December 2020, brought the issue to the vice president of Finance and Administration when he felt appropriate action was not being taken by the police department, Weiler said.

According to the report, a Human Resources investigation of the three police administrative personnel has been completed, but a Compliance and Civil Rights investigation, including possible Title IX action against Kuhrt, is ongoing.

The Compliance and Civil Rights agency is charged with overseeing the university’s strategic goals and values, according to the agency’s website.

“Title IX comes into play whenever there are allegations of sexual misconduct on campus,” Weiler said.

Kuhrt is accused of having sexual relations while on duty with multiple women, including employees, at various locations on campus, such as the president’s suite at Martin Stadium and the WSU Observatory, according to the report.

A WSU police officer received a message from a Whitcom 9-1-1 dispatcher in December 2020 who said they heard second-hand another WSU officer (Kuhrt) had been engaging in sexual activity on campus while on duty, according to the report.

The officer who received the call reported it to Gardner, who consulted with Hansen and Larsen, and assigned Larsen to investigate, according to the report.

Larsen conducted interviews with the dispatcher and others and found the alleged sexual activity was consensual and occurred while Kuhrt was on duty, the report stated. Larsen spoke with Kuhrt after the investigation and the sergeant reportedly admitted to engaging in sexual conduct while on duty.

Larsen provided the outcome of his investigation to Gardner and Kuhrt received a letter of admonishment, stating his behavior violated the university’s standards of conduct surrounding sexual relationships while on duty, according to the records.

Gardner, however, did not provide this letter to Human Resources for inclusion in Kuhrt’s personnel file, the report stated. Kuhrt, for his alleged actions, was denied overtime in the summer of 2021.

In addition to not including the letter in Kuhrt’s personnel file, Gardner, Hansen and Larsen failed to report the alleged sexual misconduct to Human Resources and Compliance and Civil Rights. The report states by failing to report the incidents to the Human Resources and Compliance and Civil Rights departments, it contributed to an “intimidating, hostile and offensive environment by not sufficiently addressing Sgt. Kuhrt’s behavior, creating an environment when it appeared (to) minimize or hide Sgt. Kuhrt’s conduct which had the potential to discourage reporting from employees who were aware of the situation.”

Weiler said as a member of the WSU community, employees, including the chief and his command staff, are required to report allegations of sexual misconduct to Human Resources Services as well as the Compliance and Civil Rights unit.

Weiler said even though Gardner, Hansen and Larsen have chosen to retire, findings from the investigations will be part of their WSU personnel records. This information will be available for all future employers who choose to hire them and the agency that certifies law enforcement officers, Weiler added.

With Gardner’s departure, Weiler said recently retired Pullman Police Department Chief Gary Jenkins will serve as interim police chief at WSU. Dawn Daniels, the department’s acting police chief and administrative sergeant, has been appointed as the assistant police chief. Victoria Murray, the executive director for Finance and Administration, will continue to serve as the acting associate vice president of Public Safety.

“I think the community owes (Jenkins) a debt of gratitude,” Weiler said. “I think he’s really going above and beyond the call of duty for the broader community by willing to serve in this role even though he should be retired.”

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce.