Six University of Oregon employees are being investigated for complaints regarding their handling of the counseling records of a student who said she was sexually assaulted by three men’s basketball players last March.
The Oregon Bar is investigating UO interim general counsel Douglas Park and associate general counsel Samantha Hill, The Oregonian reported May 8. The remaining four employees, including Vice President for Student Life Robin Holmes, are being investigated by the Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners.
UO spokesperson Julie Brown said the university is aware of the investigations. She predicted all six employees would be cleared of any wrongdoing.
“We are confident (the board and bar association) will clear the individuals of what we believe are false claims and accusations,” Brown said. “The individuals involved are fully cooperating with the entities leading the inquiries and continue to carry out their job responsibilities with honesty and professionalism for our students.”
The investigations were triggered by complaints filed by Jennifer Morlok, the senior therapist who counseled the student, identified only as Jane Doe in court documents. The Oregonian reported that on Dec. 10, 2014, Shelly Kerr, director of the University Counseling and Testing Center, released Doe’s entire file of counseling records to the general counsel’s office without her permission. A month later, Doe filed a lawsuit against the university and men’s basketball coach Dana Altman, citing the records release as one of multiple grounds for the suit.
The university responded with a counterclaim against the student, a move that prompted public outcry. The counterclaim was later dropped.
Morlok told The Oregonian that she filed the complaints that prompted the investigations in January, saying that releasing Doe’s records was “the worst thing I could think of.”
Both the bar association and the psychologist examiner board have the authority to take punitive actions in the event of findings of misconduct. The bar association can permanently disbar an attorney for extreme misconduct, and the board of examiners can also revoke a practitioner’s license for severe violations. Rules governing the release of patient psychological records are established by Oregon state law.
Holmes and another psychologist under investigation were appointed by acting Provost and Vice President Frances Bronet to a committee to establish new confidentiality policies for university clinics.
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