Saturday, July 5, 2025
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Saturday, July 5, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

The UW Board of Regents MUST Rescind the Appalling UW-Milwaukee Encampment Agreement [WRN VOICES]

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I have never been more disappointed with leaders at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where I have been a full-time instructor for almost 20 years. I join the courageous call of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Professor Shale Horowitz, who wrote, “The leadership must go.”

Minimally, the agreement must go.

More university instructors and staff should speak out against UW-Milwaukee leadership’s poorly conceived “agreement” (capitulation) with the group of pro-Palestinian activists who commandeered a section of campus for two weeks. We have an obligation to our Jewish students and faculty to provide them a “space space” on campus, to borrow past liberal terminology.

Jewish leaders have decried this agreement as offensive and dangerous and say the chancellor, Mark Mone, has failed to “adequately respond to anti-Semitic incidents on campus since October 7.” They want the Board of Regents to negate it.

They must.

Uw-milwaukee encampment ends

During two weeks of inaction by university leaders, protesters chalked “f**ck Israel” on the side of a historic campus building used by students and renamed it after a Gaza professor who called October 7 – the rape and murder of Jewish women, children, men, and elderly – both moral and legitimate.

For days on end, the activists (how many were students?) took over a prominent section of campus lawn, hung rules banning people from speaking with police (labeled “pigs”), and built a makeshift fence with signs that contained anti-Jewish slogans like “from the river to the sea.” One sign had Oct. 7 crossed out. Imagine being a Jewish student having to traverse all of this to enter Mitchell Hall for classes. How would you feel?

The encampment appeared all but abandoned by police and university officials. Instead, it was guarded and patrolled by walkie-talkie carrying protester “security” workers who monitored the actions of police and other people who wandered through. I found them intimidating. State law bans camping on university grounds. I’d presume that writing graffiti on Mitchell Hall also violated some law or rule.

The answer was always simple: Take it down. If the activists want to protest, let them do it like everyone else: Waving around signs in Spaights Plaza. You don’t let activists force concessions and negotiations by ignoring laws.

Uw-milwaukee encampment agreement

In fact, even after Dean of Students Adam Jussel admitted in a public communication that some students felt threatened by the encampment, the university allowed it to stand until May 14, after the “agreement.” I found this unconscionable.

The provost later encouraged instructors to be lenient on student due dates because they might be experiencing stress due to the war in the Middle East. It apparently failed to occur to him that the university’s inaction on the encampment might have caused some of it. Furthermore, I can think of many things causing students stress. Biden’s economy, for one.

When university officials finally acted, they entered into the agreement that was so disturbing that three major Jewish organizations called it “among the most offensive and dangerous of any university agreement reached with encampment protesters over the last two weeks.”

Uw-milwaukee encampment agreement

In addition to being a staff member at UWM, I am a taxpayer who helps fund the university.

I do not support university leadership calling for a “ceasefire,” as they did (practical reality: a ceasefire would allow Hamas to rebuild; it disadvantages Israel.)

I do not support university leadership outrageously calling for the release of Israel’s detainees, many of whom are, according to Israel, militants and terrorists. I don’t support their bizarre decision to label those detainees “hostages” or their attempt to draw a false moral equivalency between the terrorist group that raped and murdered women, children and elderly on October 7, and Israel’s defense of herself.

Mark mone
Mark mone uwm photo.

I do not agree with UWM’s implication that Israel is responsible for possible “genocide.” I find it offensive. In fact, UW-Milwaukee based that statement on controversial statistics from the UN, whose Gaza casualty counts come from a ministry of health that is controlled by the terrorist group Hamas.

According to The New York Times, Israel says its prisoners “include avowed senior militants convicted of brutal attacks …Israel says its arrest campaign has picked up senior members of organizations like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.” Is UWM really so naive as to not get that its leaders’ general call for prisoner release would include at least some of them?

The media sanitized the encampment. If you want to know the full flavor of it, read the flyer below, which was prominently posted inside the encampment. It openly glorifies Oct. 7, referring to it as “Al Aqsa Flood,” the term that Hamas gave the terrorist attack.

Uw-milwaukee encampment agreement

I believe university leadership should not take positions on contentious foreign policy debates and should stay focused on teaching our great students, whether Jewish, Palestinian, or any other background. I want ALL of our students to feel safe.

People have a right to think differently than I do. It’s a free country. The university should not pick a side, though, despite the pressure leadership may face from a few loud liberal faculty members. Because we all fund the state’s public university, they are essentially using their taxpayer-funded positions of state authority to argue for controversial foreign policy positions that many of us abhor. That’s wrong.

How do I opt out of the written agreement signed by Mone, Provost Andrew Daire, Vice Chancellor for DEI Chia Vang, and Dean of Students Adam Jussel? How can all others, similarly opposed, opt out? What about Jewish students and faculty who wish to opt out? I do not want this being done in my name.

I commend Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman for saying he is reviewing the process that led to this outcome. He notes that the university as an institution must maintain “viewpoint neutrality on challenging public issues.”

And that is exactly where UWM has failed.

Uw-milwaukee encampment agreement

Professor Horowitz noted that the university’s agreement “openly supports the content and methods of the longstanding Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign to destroy Israel.”

I would note that the agreement was so flawed that, according to Wisconsin Public Radio, it contains falsehoods about the nonprofit Water Council.

Provost andrew daire
Uwm provost andrew daire

I am speaking out now because I believe I have an obligation to students and staff who fear they can not. So far, the voices of professors who supported the unlawful encampment on university grounds have been heard the loudest. I get why; cancel culture is real, and conservatives on campus often feel they need to silence themselves (that’s true too, I’d guess, of non-conservatives who feel like I do on this issue). I feel an obligation to speak up for our Jewish students and faculty.

We have extraordinary, talented, deeply caring students at UW-Milwaukee. It’s why I am so deeply disappointed that university leadership did not have the moral fortitude not to fail them.

Adam jussel
Uwm dean of students adam jussel.

Let me be very clear. People have a right to protest on campus. During my time at UWM, I have seen many controversial protesters, from BLM to anti-abortion crusaders. Pro-Palestinian protesters have this same right. It’s not their speech that is a problem.

I challenge Mone, Daire, Jussel, and Vang to explain exactly how long they would allow an anti-abortion encampment to remain or a pro-MAGA encampment to stand on campus. We all know the answer, and therein lies the problem. They are not operating in a viewpoint-neutral manner, and, as a public university, they must.

We’re supposed to put the disclaimer on these things that my opinions are my own and do not represent the institution where I work. In this context, that seems almost ironic. Stating the obvious: My opinions are my own, and they DO NOT represent the institution where I work.

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(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

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Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

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DOJ Begins California Title IX Investigation Over ‘Trans’ Boys Dominating Girls’ Sports

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced it is investigating California for violating Title IX by allowing males to participate in female student sports.

“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for Civil Rights. “It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies.”

In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning males from participating in female student sports, and he has threatened to block California's federal funding for continuing to defy his order. With California facing deficits in the tens of billions of dollars each year, it's unclear how the state would offset any losses or pauses in federal funding.

Notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosted conservative pundit Charlie Kirk on his podcast and told Kirk that he thinks it’s “deeply unfair” that boys are participating in girls’ sports.

When asked later at a press conference what this means for state policy, Newsom demurred, painting the matter as a marginal, non-issue not worth his time.

“You're talking about a very small number of people, a very small number of athletes, and my responsibility is to address the pressing issues of our time,” said Newsom.

The California Interscholastic Federation, which governs student sports in California, has since responded to Trump’s threat by announcing a new pilot program to allow girls who otherwise would have qualified for sports finals had the finalist spots in girls’ sports not been taken by transgender-identifying boys to participate in said finals.

Title IX was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972 to ensure that schools could not discriminate against female students. It requires they be provided with equal opportunities to engage in athletics, extracurriculars and education.

DOJ’s letter of interest says it is investigating whether California’s Assembly Bill 1266, which requires transgender-identifying students to be allowed to participate in sports consistent with their gender identities, violates Title IX.

“As a result of CIF’s policy, California’s top-ranked girls’ triple jumper, and second-ranked girls’ long-jumper, is a boy,” wrote the DOJ. “As recently as May 17, this male athlete was allowed to take winning titles that rightfully belong to female athletes in both events.”

“This male athlete will now be allowed to compete against those female athletes again for a state title in long, triple, and high jump,” continued the DOJ. “Other high school female athletes have alleged that they were likewise robbed of podium positions and spots on their teams after they were forced to compete against males.”

Should the DOJ find California is in violation of Title IX, it says it will “take appropriate action to eliminate that discrimination, including seeking injunctive relief.”