The University of Montana, facing sexual assault and harassment probes by the NCAA and federal government, has brought in a veteran higher education PR pro for media training as it searches for a new head of integrated communications.
The U.S. Dept. of Justice in May announced a series of probes at the Missoula university to find out whether gender discrimination hindered probes into sex crimes there and in the Missoula community. Attorney General Eric Holder called allegations that police and prosecutors failed to address sexual assaults, some involving members of the school’s football team, “very disturbing.”
The NCAA and Dept. of Education are also looking into allegations.
The university has brought in former Widmeyer Communications exec Teresa Valerio Parrot on an initial $10K consulting pact, according to the Missoulian, to media-train and counsel leaders as the school rebuilds its PR unit and deals with the investigations.
Parrot, who runs Colorado-based TVP Communications, led Widmeyer’s higher education unit and was previously VP of media relations and crisis communications for the education consulting firm SimpsonScarborough. She also handled donor relations and communications for the University of Colorado, another large state school that dealt with sexual assault allegations.
The university's VP of external relations, Jim Foley, resigned his $125K-a-year PR post in June after sparring with media over the investigations and alleged rapes involving students. He has taken another role with the school.
The university has posted the top PR job, which it describes as a chief communications officer overseeing university relations and its broadcast media center, among other units.