Panel Tells UI That Changes Could Bolster Safety

An independent panel convened following the University of Idaho murder-suicide in August suggested administrators develop a better way to handle concerns about disturbing or disruptive behaviors by faculty members in an effort to keep students and employees safe.

Former Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda Copple Trout joined two others who reviewed the university's safety protocols.

That's after psychology professor Ernesto Bustamante resigned Aug. 19, then gunned down 22-year-old Katy Benoit three days later.

According to the 5-page review released on Wednesday, the university hasn't made clear how concerns regarding disturbing, distressing or disruptive behaviors by faculty are acknowledged and addressed.

Copple Trout told UI President Duane Nellis that while this area is more challenging to address than concerns about student behavior, it is no less important.

Associated Press