SENATOR GARY WINFIELD COMMENTS ON THE CSCU/MADUKO REPORT RELEASE

State Senator Gary Winfield (D-New Haven), who is Senate Chair of the Judiciary Committee, today issued a scathing condemnation of the former leadership of the Board of Regents for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities following the release of a report on Interim Chancellor John Maduko’s resignation from the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system following allegations that Maduko had violated the university’s harassment policy.

“What we see in this report exemplifies gross misconduct and a severe lack of leadership at the CSCU Board level. While we should remain circumspect about this incident, that shouldn’t make us reticent to call this what it is: a betrayal of the public trust. Every person, from the students to the professors to the everyday taxpayers, deserves to know that we take our workplace environment very seriously and that we will move swiftly to protect employees whenever necessary.

What’s before us in this report is not a simple policy-related failure; we’re dealing with a failure of basic human decency and leadership. The report gives the appearance of cover-ups and people who are more worried about themselves than the people they’re supposed to serve. Connecticut residents don’t fund state institutions of higher education to serve as a shield or cover for abuse.

“While the Board’s leadership was changed in the wake of the events leading to this report, Connecticut has a responsibility to take a look at the Board as a whole, its make up, and to ensure that it is properly constructed. Resignations of the former Board leadership do not constitute a full execution of the oversight duties we owe to the people of Connecticut.

“Needless to say, the next legislature should weigh the possibility of changes to the state Board of Regents.”