The University of Idaho issued a Vandal Alert on Wednesday morning announcing journalism professor Denise Bennett has been barred from the Moscow campus.
The full alert read: “Denise Bennett has been barred from Moscow Campus. Recent admittance to police of meth use and access to firearms. If seen on campus, call 911.”
Capt. Tyson Berrett, who heads the campus division of the Moscow Police Department, said the alert was referring to a November incident in which police responded to a domestic dispute. He said Bennett is not considered to be dangerous or violent.
“The original report to that was a domestic dispute with firearms involved, which is why our officers went en route,” Berrett said. “... It was just an argument. The firearms that were seen were just being loaded into a car, (and) there was no violence or anything like that, so no one was charged with a charge related to that incident.”
Bennett, a tenured mass media professor who has worked at the university since 2006, was placed on administrative leave effective the evening of Jan. 24 after she sent an email to university administrators about what she said was the university’s poor handling of grant funding and lack of maintenance at the Radio-TV Center on the Moscow campus. Bennett was unable to be reached for comment Wednesday.
On Tuesday, in a live stream on Facebook, Bennett criticized UI administration and read a letter detailing the university’s reasons for placing her on paid leave.
Citing the letter, Bennett said she was placed on leave because of unprofessional conduct toward interim dean of the College of Letters, Art and Social Sciences, Sean Quinlan, and another university employee.
“Specifically, your (Bennett’s) actions of raising your voice and accosting a university employee who was attempting to perform the functions of her job,” the letter read.
The letter also stated Bennett acted in a similar manner during a phone call between her and Quinlan the day her leave was administered.
According to the letter, during that phone call, Bennett “would not cease interacting with university employees in this manner.”
The Vandal Alert, issued at 10:51 a.m. Wednesday, came about an hour before a UI student-led sit-in at the university’s Administration Building protesting Bennett’s suspension.
The sit-in was postponed by students following the issuance of the alert. Students organized a walk-out at 6 p.m. Wednesday on the front steps of the Administration Building, where about 20 students read comments in support of Bennett.
Berrett said the alert came after an officer with campus police who responded to the November incident recognized Bennett on the live stream and notified university officials.
According to the police report, taken on Nov. 4, “Bennett stated she last used methamphetamines on 11/03/2018.” Bennett was not in possession of methamphetamine when police contacted her and she told police she was a UI professor, the report stated.
Bennett was not arrested or charged.
Berrett said it is common for officers not to issue charges to drug users who admit to being under the influence if they are not driving a vehicle.
“If somebody admits they’re using marijuana or meth and we don’t find any drugs on them, we warn them and send them on their way,” Berrett said.
Berrett said Bennett, to his knowledge, has had no further contact with law enforcement since the November incident. He said university officials asked that she be trespassed so she is aware she is not welcome on campus without an invitation from the university.
“We would rather err on the side of caution — we are concerned and we would rather everyone know that there is a risk,” UI Director of Communications Jodi Walker said. “This is just to let everyone know the current status and to have everyone’s help. Should you see her on campus, we would hope that people would help us in notifying police.”
Walker said the decision to issue the alert was made by UI President Chuck Staben.
“Ultimately, a Vandal Alert can be sent two ways,” Walker said. “Safety and security can deem it necessary to send it and then follow up with leadership or, in this case specifically, this was the president.”
Walker said the university increased security on campus and issued the alert as part of an effort to heighten awareness. Security could be seen Wednesday afternoon outside multiple entrances to the Administration Building.
When asked whether the assertion in the alert that Bennett admitted to using meth exposes the university to a potential lawsuit, Walker said she “couldn’t even begin to speculate.”
“That’s not a concern at this point,” Walker said. “Safety of our students, our faculty and staff is first and foremost our priority at this point,” Walker said.
Scott Jackson can be reached at (208) 883-4636, or by email to sjackson@dnews.com. Emma Takatori is a student in the University of Idaho School of Journalism and Mass Media. Takstori can be contacted at editor@dnews.com.
