UW Oshkosh Foundation Dropped From Lawsuit

The U-W Oshkosh Foundation is no longer a defendant in a lawsuit in which two former campus officials are accused of illegally setting aside tax dollars for the group. Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess (nees) has dropped a counterclaim against the foundation, filed by former Oshkosh chancellor Richard Wells and vice chancellor Tom Sonnleitner. The U-W System sued both men after they allegedly funneled tax dollars to the school’s privately owned foundation to cover possible debts for five building projects — and the judge ruled that the foundation is not a “necessary party” to the lawsuit. The U-W System has been working with the group to make sure it doesn’t go bankrupt — which would put scholarship money in jeopardy for students at Oshkosh.