I don't disagree that this is terrible news, but Matt Luth is a great guy that hopefully can bring stability and carry on good steps the College of Business has taken.
I am utterly confused by this Chicago Tribune article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/21/valparaiso-university-business-college-dean-charged-with-misdemeanor-battery/
I was assuming from the Torch article that this was some sort of off-campus issue, but these mentions of retaliation (?) for 'whistleblowing' about the university's financial woes and the contention about whether campus police should/shouldn't have been handling it.... Does this mean that he is alleged to have hit somebody on campus? I am so confused about how the charges have to do with VU and what Erhardt's lawyer is saying/insinuating about Padilla and the finances.
I don't recall ever hearing that Erhardt had blown any whistles about finances. And if an incident occurred on campus (Or if the incident were reported to them first?), it seems logical that campus police would be first responders. I don't think it's a case of Padilla using campus police like a "private police force." All this is speculation fueled by the claims of the defense attorney, whose job at this point is to say anything to get a dismissal.
The only people who really know what happened are Erhardt and "LB," whoever that person is.
@vuindiana The Tribune has been sniffing down the universities neck for a long time it seems. If i had to guess they are constantly looking for new hit pieces against the school. Someone at the tribune has a vendetta against the school
This is just getting ridiculous. Do we not vet character references in our hiring at Valpo? The only way that I would put my hands on someone else as an adult, is if they came after my family or if I am defending myself against someone that tried to strike me first.
This is misdemeanor battery. Here’s another example of that: Yesterday, the head of the Proud Boys at an outdoor rally in DC was heckled and at one point brushed away the arm of a women who was holding a phone up to him. The Capitol Police immediately arrested him and charged him with misdemeanor battery. So in the VU case, we can’t assume a violent punch was thrown. It could have been just a mild push to get past another person or a chest bump during an argument, or something along those lines. Need to wait for all the facts to come out.
The tribune is going to continue to to make mountains out of mole hills. IMOP all the tribune wants is to see the school close. Much like all the tribune wanted was to see the cubs fail.
This is just getting ridiculous. Do we not vet character references in our hiring at Valpo? The only way that I would put my hands on someone else as an adult, is if they came after my family or if I am defending myself against someone that tried to strike me first.
If the guy had no "past" what good would vetting have done?
Likely this is a community service sentence for a non-Valpo officer and likely for this guy as well. The big difference is he loses his job and gets a crap load of bad PR which will likely be a detriment to his future employment.
His lawyer is doing what lawyers do to get their clients off. This particular charge is fairly easy to find yourself involved in pending the circumstances as Bud pointed out earlier.
Yesterday, the head of the Proud Boys at an outdoor rally in DC was heckled and at one point brushed away the arm of a women who was holding a phone up to him. The Capitol Police immediately arrested him and charged him with misdemeanor battery.
Good.
