UMN ANALYST USES DATA TO MAKE A CHANGE PG 8 MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2018
EARLY WEEK
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MNDAILY.COM
ATHLETICS
FACULTY
U paid $300,000 in athletics settlement
University law professor files for Senate run
Report revealed payments after former athletics director Norwood Teague 2015 scandal. BY MADELINE DENINGER mdeninger@mndaily.com
The University of Minnesota paid almost $300,000 in legal settlements to two University employees who reported being sexually harassed by former athletics director Norwood Teague. According to documents published in the Star Tribune, the University paid the employees settlements and covered attorney fees and medical costs. Teague resigned in August 2015 amid allegations of sexual misconduct by two University employees, who later came forward as Ann Aronson and Erin Dady.
The first reported incident occurred on a University leadership retreat to Breezy Point Resort in 2015. In a statement to the University, Aronson and Dady, who held senior leadership positions in President Eric Kaler’s office, said Teague’s behavior was “frightening and wrong.” “In sharing our story today, we hope to make it easier for those who experience sexual harassment and assault to come forward,” the statement read. The documents published in the Star Tribune redact the names of the recipients, but the time frame of the settlement coincides with the allegations of Aronson and Dady. According to the Star Tribune report, Dady left her position in Kaler’s office one year after the retreat. In the settlement, the unnamed employee is offered a severance
package of $181,630, the equivalent of one year’s salary for the current position. The settlements also cover medical expenses within two years of the incident for both recipients and $25,000 each in attorney fees. In exchange, the recipients cannot seek further settlements, and forfeit liability on the University’s part. “At times, the use of settlements to acknowledge wrongs and attempt to heal wounds is entirely appropriate,” said University spokesperson Evan Lapiska in a statement. “At the time of this incident, the University was very transparent and Norwood Teague quickly left the University. Since then, the University’s policies have been strengthened and we have learned from the past. But we also continue to work to reinforce a culture that prevents sexual misconduct and aggressively addresses it when it occurs.”
CULTURE
The history behind the hues
Richard Painter, a longtime Republican, has filed to run as a Democrat in November. BY MAX CHAO mchao@mndaily.com
University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, will run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Tina Smith, according to a Federal Election Commission filing. Painter will run as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party in the November midterm elections, a departure from his past Republican party alignment. The FEC filing comes after Painter formed an exploratory committee for his Senate bid in March where he refused to align with a specific party. Painter, a former chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, said at a March press conference that “corrupted” government and “dark money” in politics were motivators for his potential run. “I believe that this state is entitled to be represented by two senators who are responsible only to the people of the state of Minnesota who elected them, not to special interests,” he said at the press conference. Painter’s campaign Twitter account posted a press release on April 26 stating that he will make an “important announcement” relating to his involvement in the election at the State Capitol Monday. Painter has amassed a popular Twitter following, often criticizing Trump’s administration and claiming ethics violations. Last year, he filed a lawsuit against Trump citing conflicts of business interest while chair of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. That lawsuit was dismissed near the end of 2017 as it “lacked standing.” The 2018 midterm elections will be held on Nov. 6.
FOOTBALL
Color is thrown into the air at the Holi Festival at East River Flats Park on Sunday.
EASTON GREEN, DAILY
Steven Richardson, Ryan Santoso and Nate Wozniak signed as undrafted free agents.
The annual Holi Festival offers culture — more than Instagram-worthy content.
BY JACK WARRICK jwarrick@mndaily.com
BY MARAYA KING mking@mndaily.com
Vibrant colors, echoing music, formerly-white t-shirts and centuries of tradition: this is the Holi festival. Yesterday afternoon, hundreds of students gathered to rejoice in the Hindu festival of colors. Hosted by the University’s Bharat club, Holi celebrates the success of good over evil and welcomes the coming of a new spring. Holi is the Indian and Nepali spring festival, also known as the festival of love, intended to help participants forgive, forget and repair broken relationships while ringing in the new season. Soumya Marasakatla, president of Bharat, said the seasons in India are dictated by astronomy instead of temperature. Holi was celebrated March 1 and 2 this year in India, but given the Minnesotan climate, we had to wait a few more weeks, Marasakatla said. A traditional Holi celebration takes place over the course of two days: the
No Gophers selected in NFL draft for the first time since 2013
EASTON GREEN, DAILY
Satish Uppaluri throws color into Rahul Sharan’s hair at the Holi Festival at East River Flats Park on Sunday.
night before the event and then the event itself. The night before is ritualistic, taking place around a bonfire where people come to pray for their internal evil to be destroyed.
The next day is purely for celebrating. Dried paint, water guns, food and laughs are rampant. It is a light-hearted u See HOLI Page 5
For the first time since 2013, the Gophers had no players picked in the NFL draft. Despite not being drafted, two Minnesota players have already signed deals with NFL teams. Defensive lineman Steven Richardson signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday while punter Ryan Santoso signed with the Detroit Lions on the same day. Tight end Nate Wozniak signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent Sunday. “It’s still pretty surreal right now,” Richardson said Saturday. “That was pretty much the top team, when I [was] discussing with my agent like what’s the best fit. ... It ended up working out, so I’m really happy about the results right now.” Richardson finished his Gophers career with 103 tackles and 12.5 sacks, playing in 48 games. Santoso averaged 41.8 yards per punt with 144 punts in his career at Minnesota. He averaged 61.8 yards per kickoff attempt in three years as the starting kicker. Between 2014-17, the Gophers had nine u See DRAFT Page 4
CRIME
The Marshall, Venue among off-campus apartments with most police calls The Minnesota Daily looked at police data of nine campusarea apartments last year. BY HANNAH OVCHARCHYN hovcharchyn@mndaily.com
The Marshall, Venue at Dinkytown and WaHu Student Apartments received more police calls in 2017 than other large offcampus apartment complexes, according to Minneapolis Police Department data obtained by the Minnesota Daily. MPD’s calls-for-service list is comprised of all criminal and non-emergency calls placed to a certain address. The Marshall received the most police calls in 2017 of the apartments analyzed by the Daily, totaling 124. Venue followed with 117 calls, then WaHu with 112 calls. The Daily also received data for The Knoll, FloCo Fusion, The Bridges, The 700 on Washington, The Station on Washington and GrandMarc Seven Corners. Many of these apartments advertise a “luxury
experience” for students, with strict security standards including keyless entry systems and controlled access. The majority of calls placed to MPD were for escorts, a non-emergency call to move someone from a building or room. Other notable calls include thefts, burglaries, loud music and more. Lucy Stiles, a community assistant at The Marshall, said the amount of calls to the apartment is not unexpected considering its large scale. She said the 650-room complex is in a “central” position in Dinkytown, and as a result, many students come to visit. Stiles said The Marshall employs security guards every night from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. These security guards sit by the main entrance as well as patrol the hallways for any criminal activity. Residents are encouraged to use the apartment’s services to resolve issues internally without having to call MPD, she said. Many students don’t know they can call or email staff at The Marshall for immediate u See APARTMENTS Page 3
A view of WaHu apartments on Jan. 15, 2017.
EASTON GREEN, DAILY
VOLUME 118 ISSUE 58