Virginia Commonwealth University has asked an outside law firm to investigate allegations of a hostile work environment within VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

The probe, being overseen by higher education attorneys with the Husch Blackwell firm, has drawn a pre-emptive legal challenge from former Gov. Doug Wilder, the former Richmond mayor and legendary Virginia political figure whom the school is named after.

Wilder revealed the existence of the “confidential investigation” by filing a federal lawsuit against VCU President Michael Rao and Chief Audit and Compliance Executive Suzanne Milton.

The goal of the suit, according to Wilder’s Aug. 1 filing, is to “challenge malicious, unsubstantiated and retaliatory acts orchestrated by Defendants Michael Rao and Suzanne Milton under the guise of institutional compliance.”

By launching an investigation “based on anonymous, unsubstantiated claims,” Wilder contends, the VCU leaders violated his rights to free speech and due process. The former governor also claims the investigative process led to defamation against him and was brought in “retaliation” for his past criticism of Rao and VCU leadership.

The university declined to comment on Wilder’s lawsuit.

“VCU would not discuss a legal matter,” said university spokesman Michael Porter.

While the exact focus of the investigation is unclear, it appeared to grow out of Wilder’s dispute earlier this year with former Wilder School adviser and professor Bill Leighty, according to a person familiar with the matter. 

Leighty — who previously served as chief of staff to former Govs. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine — was abruptly fired in March after he moderated a virtual event with current Richmond Mayor Danny Avula. Leighty said Wilder School officials had pressured him to ask Avula a tough, VCU-related question that had come from Wilder. 

Leighty didn’t ask the question — which focused on an unresolved financial dispute between the city and VCU health over a botched downtown development deal — because he felt it was too aggressive for the school’s event with Avula. The Wilder School terminated Leighty a few days later after Wilder told Dean Susan Gooden he found Leighty’s actions “prejudicial” and intended to “follow next steps.”

Leighty then criticized how the Wilder School was being run, saying Wilder had been granted too much power over the school’s operations and, in some cases, appeared to be weaponizing its resources against perceived foes. Leighty’s decision to go public with his story apparently led others to speak up, leading to a broader look at workplace issues within the Wilder School.

“It’s a bit ironic that his complaint mirrors the concerns I had about my firing,” Leighty said when asked about the former governor’s lawsuit. “What happened to my free speech rights and my due process rights?”

Though Wilder is a senior statesman who holds the title of distinguished professor at the school, he operates under an adjunct appointment that doesn’t give him formal powers to hire or fire Wilder School instructors.

In his lawsuit, Wilder said he had asked for clarifying details on what the investigation was about. As he was being asked to make himself available for an interview with Husch Blackwell attorney Lisa Parker, the lawsuit says, Milton gave him some sense of what was being looked into.

The “vague allegations” she described, according to Wilder’s suit, included claims “that there was a threatening environment at the Wilder School, an abusive relationship with Dean Susan Gooden, that I threatened colleagues, misused university personnel, and was involved in Wilder School personnel decisions.”

Wilder said he did an interview on June 20 with Parker and fellow Husch Blackwell attorney Ryan Spraker, but has received no further updates on any findings or reports from the investigation.

VCU officials would not say if they expect there to be any public report on the results of the Wilder School investigation.

Wilder has continued to speak out against Rao.

Democratic lawmakers in the Virginia General Assembly made Wilder the featured guest at a news conference last month meant to push back against the perceived politicization of higher education by President Donald Trump and Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

As he stood at the podium, Wilder used the occasion to call on the governor and state legislators to “withhold further funding from any public college or university, including VCU, that demonstrates gross financial mismanagement.”

Calling out Rao by name, Wilder raised the issue of the failed development deal — the same disputed topic behind the Leighty controversy — and asked why state leaders aren’t more interested in grappling with the tens of millions of dollars the VCU Health system lost in the process.

“Can anyone in here tell me where the money went?” Wilder said. “And why it was absolutely wasted?”

Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org. (VCU is a sponsor of The Richmonder, but did not influence or review this story.)