On October 22, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted 3-2 to dismiss the ethics complaint against former Oregon State University president F. King Alexander.
Alexander sought legal advice from an OSU attorney to respond to investigators into his silence about rape allegations at Louisiana State University when he was president there. Commission staff believed that he violated a state law stating that public officials may not use their position for financial gain.
According to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission’s investigators, there was sufficient evidence “to make a preliminary finding of one violation each of the conflict of interest and prohibited use of office provisions of Oregon Government Ethics law.”
Additionally, commission staff concluded that Alexander failed to disclose conflicts of interest, violating another statute.
Alexander was president of LSU from 2013 to 2019, before becoming OSU’s president in 2020. An investigation published in November 2020 found that during Alexander’s presidency at OSU, multiple high-ranking officials had knowledge of allegations of rape and abuse against LSU athletes, but failed to contact law enforcement as required by federal law.
Early this year, Alexander was contacted by Husch Blackwell, a law firm retained by LSU. Reports show that Rebecca Gose, OSU general counsel, responded to the firm. Gose claimed that she wanted to “set a tone” that was in line with the university, and that it was part of her job to prevent legal liability for OSU.
Alexander eventually found a private attorney, Portland-based Courtney Angeli, in March of this year, after already having responded to Husch Blackwell. Angeli, along with OSU, claimed that Gose did not give Alexander free personal legal advice and that instead, Gose’s role was simply to protect OSU.
According to records from his attorney, Alexander sought out a Louisiana-based attorney on the same day he submitted his answers to the investigation. Then, while under review by the OSU Board of Trustees, Alexander hired Angeli nearly two weeks later.
Those who voted to dismiss the complaint included Commissioners Shawn Lindsay and Amber Hollister, and board chair Daniel Mason.
“I understand his position, trying to do nothing intentionally wrong here and in my opinion, trying to comply,” Lindsay said.
Those who voted to act on the complaint included Commissioners Karly Edwards and Dave Fiskum.
Edwards said, “I think the staff has done its due diligence. That to me feels like the best way moving forward to exercise the goals of this commission.”
Alexander resigned as OSU president on April 1, parting with a severance package of $670,000.
By Olivia Goodfriend
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