An e-mail attachment foiled Ohio University's plans to resume accepting allegations of fraud, waste and abuse through a telephone hot line last week.
The university disabled the Web site and hot line that allowed university personnel to report wrongdoing in late August after it realized ' following a records request by The Post ' that the names of tipsters and their tips were available to the public.
The university's Board of Trustees passed a resolution on Sept. 28 authorizing the reactivation of the hot line. The Web site will no longer accept allegations of wrongdoing and instead direct visitors to call either OU's Department of Human Resources or a trained interviewer.
EthicsPoint, Inc., operates the Web site and hot line, which cost the university $8,100 a year. The university began using EthicsPoint in February 2006.
Kathryn Gilmore, director of Internal Audit, sent a Microsoft Word e-mail attachment to EthicsPoint detailing wording changes to the Web site. EthicsPoint representatives couldn't open the attachment, Gilmore said Friday, adding that this delayed the changes.
The EthicsPoint Web site previously accepted reports of activities that may involve certain improper conduct or violation of OHIO's policies and assured potential whistle-blowers that their identities ' should they choose to provide them ' would remain confidential.
Gilmore's changes included accepting only allegations of fraud, waste and abuse through the hot line and directing all other complaints to Human Resources. Additionally, Gilmore directed EthicsPoint to remove assurances of confidentiality for potential whistle-blowers.
Discontinuing use of the Web site will allow the university to limit the creation of records defaming people who have done nothing wrong and make certain that potential whistle-blowers know that, should they give their names, their anonymity is not guaranteed, Gilmore said after the meeting.
Documentation of the calls, however, is available to the public.
In the 31 complaints turned over to The Post ' whose summer editor was the first person to receive EthicsPoint documents through a public records request ' 25 people are accused of wrongdoing.
One tip prompted an investigation that found that Robert Andrey, former associate athletics director for business and internal operations, used his OU purchasing card to steal more than $31,000. Andrey pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree felony in July and, after paying restitution, was sentenced Sept. 25 to two days in jail, 100 hours of community service and five years probation.
Another reported that a branch campus dean wore an inappropriate T-shirt to a university function.Of the 31 requests received by The Post, 13 were unsubstantiated. They included personal attacks and numerous complaints ' determined by internal auditors to be unfounded ' of favoritism and cronyism.
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Dave Hendricks
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