UNIVERSITY OF UTAH INSTRUCTOR INVOLVED IN SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
This web site has been created to provide parents and students of the University of Utah with information concerning the sexual and unethical misconduct perpetrated by a University of Utah instructor/student. On August 20, 2007 the University of Utah educational psychology department admitted a graduate student, by the name of William Barlow Elder, into their program. William Elder was previously a graduate student at Baylor University where he was expelled, on October 3, 2006, for serious unethical and sexual misconduct.
While Mr. Elder was a graduate student/counselor at Baylor University there were some concerns raised about some misconduct. The university performed an investigation of Mr. Elder's conduct and determined the following:
Computer records showed that Mr. Elder was using university computers to solicit sexual acts with other students and individuals.
Correspondence and emails, written by Mr. Elder and sent through university computers, showed that Mr. Elder took advantage of his position as a graduate student/counselor to perpetrate his sexual misconduct.
The correspondence also showed that Mr. Elder was using university classrooms and university facilities to have sex with students and individuals on campus.
Computer records determined that Mr. Elder was using university computers to view sexually oriented web sites during his work hours as a counselor.
These computer records also showed that some of these web sites were associated with disturbing pornographic content of sexual violence and incest.
It was also determined that Mr. Elder was discussing confidential information, with third-parties, about mental/emotional conditions of other individuals.
Based upon the fact that Mr. Elder took advantage of his position as a counselor and showed no meaningful remorse for his misconduct, Baylor University determined that this individual’s immediate expulsion was in the best interest of the university to provide a safe environment for their students.
Even though the University of Utah admissions office and the educational psychology department have had prior knowledge of this individual’s unethical and sexual misconduct, they still chose to ignore their responsibilities of taking the necessary steps to provide their students with a safe environment. The University of Utah educational psychology program that Mr. Elder has been given admission to is a program that requires graduate students to interact with children, students, and patients within a counseling setting. Mr. Elder will also be expected, by the university, to work within the community as a counselor for university sanctioned counseling programs. The fact that this university program requires that a student be trusted with the responsibility of counseling children, students, and patients should provide a situation where administrators and faculty members are cautious about whom they admit to this type of program.
In addition to the University of Utah, Mr. Elder also applied to other universities (i.e. Pennsylvania, Missouri, etc.) after his expulsion. These universities, except for the University of Utah, recognized the severity of Mr. Elder’s unethical and sexual misconduct and denied this individual admission since the safety of their students was their utmost priority.
The parents of children who are attending the University of Utah have a right to be notified of this instructor’s prior sexual misconduct and expulsion from Baylor University. In the future Mr. Elder will be placed in a counseling position on campus and within the community to counsel other students and children, and based upon Mr. Elder’s lack of remorse for his prior sexual misconduct there is a strong potential that this individual may repeat his prior bad acts. If a student or child is subjected to this individual’s misconduct, then why should their parents be placed in a position of asking why it wasn’t prevented since the University of Utah had prior knowledge of this individual’s misconduct and never warned the students or their parents.
Since Mr. Elder was utilizing his university account to send correspondences prior to and subsequent to his expulsion, the following links provides copies of some documents, maintained by Baylor University, that were provided to the University of Utah.
http://www.youshare.com/Guest/5f74c1c7236d421f.doc.html
http://www.youshare.com/Guest/a2c9cbf3acaef0d0.pdf.html
The following link provides a copy of an email from a representative of a university in Pennsylvania that was alarmed by Mr. Elder’s previous misconduct and that eventually chose not to admit this individual.
http://www.youshare.com/Guest/e264e9574f636e40.pdf.html
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