A recent story with information about a legal matter involving a former employee of the University of Oregon Police Department focused primarily on the unproven allegations of the former public safety officer and did not provide the university's responses to the courts or the newspaper reporter.

The former employee's claim of wrongful termination and retaliation is pending in court and the university looks forward to resolving this matter soon. The UO does not agree with the claims of information and incidents alleged to have occurred.

The complainant alleged that a list of individuals was referred to in a derogatory manner. This allegation was not supported by the evidence.

Attached is a copy of "the list," as it is referred to, from an individual's personal cell phone. It primarily included sports and pop culture figures, and was an inappropriate attempt to humorously describe people or things that annoyed someone at some time.

The list included dozens of entries from the inventor of turtlenecks to the state of New Jersey and from Eli Manning to Rush Limbaugh. The list does not include names of the Eugene mayor, a former ASUO student body president or a local lawyer.

"The list was not meant maliciously, it was not labeled with the vulgarity referred to in the court complaint, and was not a collection of 'enemies,'" said UO Police Chief Carolyn McDermed.

According to McDermed, the individuals involved have been counseled and warned and they understand that such jokes are not acceptable and that our community holds its safety officers to a higher standard.

"I am disappointed by what is described in the allegation," said McDermed. "It is not the climate we strive for each and every day while protecting campus. Our values reflect those of the university and we hold each and every member of our department to those values and standards of behavior."

-- by Julie Brown, Public Affairs Communications