Former Utah Tech President Faces Lawsuit Over Phallic Display of Vegetables

The former president of Utah Tech University is facing a lawsuit surrounded with alleged cases of sexual misconduct from three university employees. 

Our news partners at ABC4 Utah summarized the lawsuit in an article written by Trevor Myers. 

Myers wrote, “Richard ‘Biff’ Williams, former president of Utah Tech University, is facing a lawsuit over a “crude, sexual, vulgar, obscene, and damaging” gift that was left on one employee’s porch and attributed to the three employees who are now suing Williams and the university.” 

The gift in question was a display made up of vegetables shaped into a phallic image. The display was left on the porch of the university’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications after they had undergone a medical procedure in 2021. 

The lawsuit claims it didn’t end with the gift as more misconduct was shown by staff years after the display debacle.  

The lawsuit states, “Utah Tech’s pattern of hostile and brazen misconduct, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation by the senior male administrators culminated in a crude, sexual, vulgar, obscene, and damaging display left on the porch of a Utah Tech administrator by the then-sitting University President Williams, and falsely attributed by him to the Plaintiffs.” 

Images of the display were shared with 11 other staff members and were also shown at a Board of Trustees luncheon with the plaintiff's names being attached to the display.  

Myers wrote, “The suit claims the university and the Utah State Board of Higher Education conducted a ‘sham investigation’ and that their claims against Williams were dismissed after the former president announced his departure since the Utah Board of Higher Education ‘would no longer have jurisdiction over Williams after he stepped down as President.’” 

The lawsuit lists some of the damages that the plaintiffs had to endure as a result of the incident. 

Myers wrote, “One of the plaintiffs was placed on “involuntary leave” in Feb. 2024 and was “banished” from the school’s premises. That employee has not yet been able to return to their duties, the lawsuit said. Another plaintiff has reportedly been “frozen out” of duties and left out of other processes. The plaintiffs are suing over fourteen causes of action, including discrimination (based on sex, race, and national origin), retaliation, defamation per se, and breach of contract, among others.” 

Williams is currently serving as the President of Missouri State Univsersity. We’ll provide more information as the lawsuit develops.  

The full lawsuit can be viewed by clicking here.