The office of UF’s political science department was closed for about three hours Friday due to safety concerns after a political science professor was arrested on a domestic battery charge the day before.
“Because this individual has threatened violence in the past, it was decided that the best thing would be for the political science office to close early — which it did, shortly after 2 p.m.,” an e-mail from department chairman Stephen Craig reads.
Richard Conley, 42, was arrested Thursday night after an argument with his wife, according to a police report.
Conley grabbed his wife’s wrist while trying to take their son away from her, according to the report. He also threw a wine rack to the floor and challenged his wife to call 911.
Conley’s wife was not injured, and she demanded the police leave, according to the report.
Conley, reached by phone, said his lawyer advised him not to comment on the arrest.
Paul D’Anieri, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said Conley was placed on paid leave Friday afternoon until UF has assessed the situation.
“We’re in an environment where one is expected to...take any possible indication that something is out of order very seriously, and that’s what the chair did,” D’Anieri said.
“I actually don’t think it’s that big a deal,” he said of closing the office. “I don’t think it caused a big disruption and if it helped people feel better, then that’s fine.”
Conley’s lawyer, Thomas Edwards, said the closure of the office was unwarranted. Edwards said Conley had made no threats to anyone at UF and that the closing was likely influenced by a strained relationship between Conley and Craig.
“There was no connection between what took place between he and his wife and the department chair closing down the department,” he said.
He said the reference to past violent threats in Craig’s e-mail likely alluded to allegations made by Conley’s ex-wife during divorce proceedings that began in 2006.
According to Edwards, the allegations, which Conley said are untrue, were made to gain leverage in a custody battle.
Craig referred comment to UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes, who said her ability to comment was limited because the issue was a personnel matter.
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fozzy
kershawdw - just wanted a day off? give the university and the department a little more credit! a university is a place for learning and discourse, a CHAIR of a department isn't going to shut down the place just because he disagrees with someone's political views (as conley's lawyer says).
also, thank you for informing us that there is a "world of domestic abuse" and that there is a hierarchy of ACCEPTABLE abuse within it. (???) read what the article says: "Conley grabbed his wife’s wrist while trying to take their son away from her, according to the report. He also threw a wine rack to the floor and challenged his wife to call 911."
yes, maybe grabbing her wrist was "far from extreme" but what about the context of his actions? trying to "take their son away from her" (why is he trying to take their son away from her?). He also threw a wine rack and he challenged his wife to call 911. why do you challenge someone to call 911? what, is that like a dare? i dare you to call 911 on me? but she sounds just as crazy. she calls 911, then when the police get there she tells them to leave?
the article in the gainesville sun also reports that he had a previous record, and that his ex-wife had obtained a restraining order against him after he made threatening statements (the details are in that article).
so why this pattern? why have two different wives called the police on him? people don't call 911 just for the fun of it. in each case conley suggests it's external forces (his ex-wife leveraging a custody battle, his troubled relationship with the university) that are causing these events to transpire. but the only common factor i see is conley himself!
i know we don't know the whole story because we weren't there, but seriously, how hard is it to be a decent human being? why are we making excuses for someone who acts so inappropriately?
stonewall50
Yea this whole thing was shocking because I am in his Federal Government Class this semester. I thought it seemed a little unusual, but it makes a little more sense having read the news and actually gotten the reports. I think it was a SEVERE over reaction and the threats of violence issue was probably not true and he was known for being conservative/right wing. We all know what most of the people at UF are so its not really a shocker when doesn't see eye to eye with him lol.
kershawdw
Sounds like the Poli Sci office just wanted a day off. Closing it was completed unwarranted. In the world of domestic abuse grabbing ones wrist is far from extreme
felliniana
Oh man! I took his class this summer, American Federal Govt. It's sort of freaky when a teacher you took a class with gets arrested.