Panel clears former Va. governor of sex misconduct, but university has yet to approve ruling

L. Douglas Wilder, the former governor of Virginia and currently a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, this week criticized his university’s handling of sexual misconduct claims again him, stating that he has been cleared of a prior finding of responsibility and suggesting the school has “no consistent process” by which it investigates these matters.

The school, meanwhile, says that the governor has not officially been cleared of the finding, stating that the final judgment on the matter rests with a senior university official. But yesterday, at a press conference, Wilder said a three-member panel had cleared him.

In July, Wilder was found responsible for one instance of non-consensual sexual contact involving a student. A review of several claims against him from that student had found him not responsible for three other alleged infractions, but the investigator determined that Wilder had touched the leg of, and kissed, a young woman without her consent.

Wilder sharply and publicly contested the finding at the time.

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