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Sen. Brady: U of I 'Worsty' could
have been avoided with proper investigation
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[October 13, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- State Sen. Bill Brady,
R-Bloomington, says the University of Illinois might have avoided a
"Worsty Award" if there had been a proper investigation into the
manner in which the university's board of trustees retired Chief
Illiniwek.
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 The trustees announced Feb. 16 that Chief Illiniwek's last
appearance after 81 years as the university's symbol was Feb. 21,
during the last men's home basketball game. Based on the way in
which the trustees conducted their decision-making, the Illinois
Press Association recently gave the U of I its Worsty Award.
"Whether or not you think the Chief should have remained as the U of
I symbol, many people have asked if the board of trustees operated
in a legal manner," Brady said. "Based on those complaints, I asked
the attorney general to investigate, to determine if they violated
the Open Meetings Act."
Assistant Attorney General Terry Mutchler sent Brady a letter May
9 telling him the matter would be handled by the Champaign County
state's attorney.
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 "I am not sure the matter received as thorough an investigation
as it deserved, which is unfortunate. The public deserved an
explanation about the way the U of I board of trustees acted, and I
do not think they got it," Brady said. "And in awarding the U of I
its Worsty Award, the Illinois Press Association would seem to
agree."
The Illinois Press Association said in an online statement: "When
public officials refuse to release public documents, and when
government bodies meet privately for inappropriate reasons, the IPA
takes note. The idea behind the Worsty awards is to call attention
to these 'worst' abuses in an effort to discourage them, according
to Dave Bennett, executive director of the IPA."
(Click here for
the May 9 letter from Assistant Attorney General Terry Mutchler.)
[Text from file sent on behalf of
Sen.
Bill Brady by Illinois
Senate Republican staff]
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