4-28-23 judge tosses former whitewwater student’s harassment lawsuit

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge has tossed out a former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student’s lawsuit that alleged UW System officials failed to prevent the school chancellor’s husband from sexually harassing her and other women.  U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller dismissed the case in March after the former student and her attorney repeatedly failed to preserve and withheld records UW officials requested in the discovery process. Stephanie Goettl Vander Pas filed the lawsuit in 2021, aruging that UW-Whitewater employees knew that then-Chancellor Beverly Kopper’s husband, Pete Hill, had a history of sexually harassing women but failed to take any action. The Journal Sentinel says the case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.