Goettl-Vander Pass lawsuit stems from sexual harassment and assault that Hill allegedly directed at her in October 2015, shortly after Kopper became chancellor. In October 2016, Julie Axelrod, now chief litigation counsel of the Center, and Lesley Blackner, an environmental lawyer in Florida, filed a landmark case, Whitewater Draw v.Johnson, against the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of nine plaintiffs, including individual environmentalists, environmental groups that object to endless population growth, southwest natural resource . A former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student has filed a lawsuit in federal court accusing the university and UW System for failing to protect her and others from sexual harassment by a former chancellor's husband. Two allegations surfaced: 1) that Clinton had exerted pressure on an Arkansas businessman, David Hale, to make a loan that would benefit himself and the owners of Madison Guaranty; 2) that an Arkansas bank had concealed transactions involving Clinton's gubernatorial campaign in 1990. [24], White House counsel Bernard Nussbaum obstructed both the justice department investigation and parks department's investigation into Vince Foster by refusing to hand over documents found in Foster briefcase. [6], Bill and Hillary Clinton never visited the actual Whitewater property. She was in a raft that overturned. The Walt Disney Company has filed a federal lawsuit against Florida Gov. A Whitewater spokesman did not respond to attempts to reach him for comment Monday. [3], These charges were the topic of a separate investigation by former Department of Justice investigator, Michael E. Shaheen Jr.[41] Shaheen filed his report in July 1999 to Starr, who stated that the allegations that Hale had been paid in hopes of influencing his testimony were "unsubstantiated or, in some cases, untrue". CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- An Ohio family has filed a lawsuit against the National Whitewater Center one year after their teenage daughter died from a brain-eating amoeba infection after visiting the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte last June. [41], There was much acrimony from the most fervent critics of the Clintons, after the release of the Starr report on the Foster matter and after Starr's departure and return to the case. Whitewater and its controlled entities have not prevailed in any of the 5 lawsuits they have filed against PSD over the past 6 years. Here's how the lawsuit claims the Whitewater Center failed to protect visitors: The suit said the park failed to properly chlorinate its water, regulate its water temperature and train employees on how to care for the water. On 12/27/2022 DESIREE ESPERIAS, filed a Personal Injury - Motor Vehicle lawsuit against FRANCISCO JASINTO MADERO. The Whitewater scandal was a real estate controversy involving Bill and Hillary Clinton that came to public attention in the 1990s. She said Hill made "increasingly brazen" comments about her appearance and romantic relationships when she was a student government leader from 2009 to 2011. At the time, Vander Pas was a member of the Whitewater City Council and attended a holiday party at then Chancellor Richard Telfer's home when Hill told her that she was a "very pretty girl." This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. [58], The length, expense, and results of the Whitewater investigations turned the public against the Office of the Independent Counsel; even Kenneth Starr was opposed to it. System lawyers sought medical records and private journals, social media correspondence, text messages and job applications from Goettl-Vander Pas as part of the discovery aspect of the proceedings. Seitz died on June 19,. Angela Major/WPR. In warmer areas where this infection has been more common, recommended precautions include: Limit the amount of water going up your nose. ALE threatened to haul Whitewater Center CEO to jail The Whitewater Center attracts more than 800,000 visits a year and has total revenue exceeding $18 million annually. Goettl-Vander Pass complaint includes stories from 10 other anonymous women who were subjected to unwelcomed kisses and hugs, groping and inappropriate comments from Hill. OUR MISSION. CHARLOTTE, N.C. A lawsuit against the U.S. National Whitewater Center was filed Monday, just over year after an Ohio teen contracted a brain-eating amoeba when she was rafting at the facili Home - Western Center on Law & Poverty WhiteWater: the company under investigation in Mexico and the U.S. for All rights reserved. Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Seth Ward fell under investigation, along with the lawyer who helped him draft the agreement. Regarding the reappearance of Hillary Clinton's Rose Law Firm billing records in the White House residential section, Starr said the investigation had found no explanation for the disappearance or the reappearance. In the next few months, the prosecution will start interviewing witnesses to figure out what they know. "There is no room for obfuscation.". The Seitz family is asking for at least $1 million in damages in the lawsuit, but that amount could change if the case makes it to trial. On the call Stephanopoulos asked if Stephens could be removed. As a result, Stadtmueller determined, Goettl-Vander Pas committed perjury by stating her journaling started in 2017 when evidence suggested it started years prior. Gonzalez called Leach "obstinate", "obdurate", "in willful disregard" of House etiquette, and "premeditatedly" plotting a "judicial adventure". In addition to being a White Center fellow, he is involved in the Acequia Water Law Project, Environmental Law Society, and Cannabis Law League. The facility then changed its filtration and disinfection systems. Several formal investigations into Hill's behavior were launched starting in 2017. Marks Sr.: Jim Guy Tucker's business partner (, Neal Ainley: Perry County Bank president (embezzled bank funds for Clinton campaign), Larry Kuca: Madison real estate agent (multiple loan fraud), Charles Matthews: Whitewater defendant (bribery), This page was last edited on 21 April 2023, at 17:21. Ice skating rink, 'Lights' trail opening at U.S. National Whitewater [4] A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation resulted in convictions against the McDougals for their role in the Whitewater project. "It's been a long road, a very long roadand it was not an easy decision to make", McDougal told the court. Case Summary - Online Services - LA Court Stadtmueller wrote in his dismissal that he thought Blackborn had been deceptive to System lawyers seeking evidence by failing to preserve documents or using nuance as justification for withholding documents. The first of those pieces appeared in February 1994, alleging a wide variety of criminal offenses by the Clintons and others, including Webster Hubbell. The Charlotte Observer The center lists some of the potential risks as "water-borne pathogens, organisms and other contaminates.". This was a $3 million study done for the Resolution Trust Corporation by the Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro law firm at the time that Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan was dissolved. Family sues Whitewater Center in brain-eating amoeba death | Charlotte Case Details Parties Documents Dockets. "[22], During Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential run, he was asked by New York Times reporters about the failure of the Whitewater development. Vehicle crashes into Wisconsin cellphone store, injures 5. Every time I talked to her she smiled and was kind to me. Whitewater Rafting Company Sued Over River Accident [3] The allegations were regarded as questionable because Hale had not mentioned Clinton in reference to this loan during the original FBI investigation of Madison Guaranty in 1989; only after coming under indictment himself in 1993, did Hale make allegations against the Clintons. The lawsuit outlines multiple situations where System employees observed or were told about Hills behavior, but no reports were filed. Stadtmueller's order dismissing the case on technical grounds describes example after example in which the defense didn't receive the full scope of records requested or, in some cases, didn't receive documents at all. Afterwards, she won media praise for the manner in which she conducted herself during the press conference;[14] Time called her "open, candid, but above all unflappablethe real message was her attitude and her poise. Whitewater officials repeatedly defended themselves by saying that the amoeba is common in warm freshwater lakes and other bodies of water during the summer, particularly in the southern United States. An Ohiofamily has filed a lawsuit against the National Whitewater Center one year after their teenage daughter died from a brain-eating amoeba infection after visiting the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte last June. In it, she claimed that the Clintons had a passive role in the Whitewater venture and had committed no wrongdoing, but admitted that her explanations had been vague. In September 1998, Independent Counsel Starr released the Starr Report, concerning offenses alleged to have been committed by President Clinton, as part of the Lewinsky scandal. She said that she no longer opposed appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the matter. At one point in the investigation, Alcohol Law Enforcement agents showed up at the Whitewater Center's offices asking for a . [21][22] However, Charles Patterson, the attorney who supervised the report, "refused to call it a vindication" of the Clintons, stating in testimony before the Senate Whitewater Committee that "it was not our purpose to vindicate, castigate, exculpate. The suit was initially filed in June 2017 on the one-year anniversary of 18-year-old Lauren Seitz's death. AfterSeitz'sdeath, the park closed and crews cleaned the whitewater feature. Home to the world's largest man-made whitewater river, the U.S. National Whitewater Center, which sits on approximately 1,300 acres of land alongside the Catawba River, plays host to everything from Olympic slalom trials to family-friendly music festivals.. One of the stops was the Whitewater Center, where the teams went rafting. In 2023, we announced a preliminary settlement in Freeman v. Riverside of $540K to be returned to Riverside, CA families who were unfairly charged daily cost of support fees for a family member in juvenile detention. The suit also names Colorado-based Recreation Engineering and Planning as a defendant. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. The 1,000 acres (400ha), located south of Little Rock,[12] were priced at about $1.75 million, more than McDougal could afford on his own. Whitewater Draw Natural Resource Conservation District v. DHS - CIS.org Whitewater controversy - Wikipedia "Tucker Sentenced to 4 Years Probation", Washington Post. In August 1994, Republican Kenneth Starr[39] was appointed by a three-judge panel to continue the Whitewater investigation, replacing Republican Robert B. Fiske, who had been specially appointed by US attorney general Janet Reno, prior to the re-enactment of the Independent Counsel law. Lauren Seitz died after she was thrown from a raft during a June 2016 trip to the center with her church. [43] Federal judge dismisses sexual harassment lawsuit against UW System The lawsuit was originally filed in Columbus and was subsequently transferred to U.S. District Court in Charlotte. The amoeba can infect a person when water goes up the nose and infections are rare, but almost always fatal. Father of teen killed by brain-eating amoeba settles lawsuit - WYFF After ten months of litigation in Hall v. USDA, the USDA began providing SNAP households with the lowest incomes (an . The payment was made without filing an amended return (possibly because the three-year period for amended return filing had passed), but did include full interest on the amount of the error, including the additional two-year delay. Naegleria fowleri infections are rare, officials said. Stadtmueller disagreed, concluding she was liable to keep documents as early as August 2018 when she first indicated interest in filing a complaint. [53] Starr said that he held back the charges because he was not sure that the two major witnesses had told the truth,[54] but that the investigation was still ongoing. [10], Following the land purchase, Jim McDougal asked the Clintons for additional funds for interest payments on the loan and other expenses; the Clintons later claimed to have no knowledge of how these contributions were used. Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. At the time of the teens death, the center was the only one of only three similar facilities in the U.S. that wasnt regulated to protect the public from waterborne diseases. Follow her on Twitter at@KellyMeyerhofer. Vander Pas' complaint said she was forced to drop out of her MBA program due to mental and physical anguish she suffered as a result of Hill's harassment and the public ridicule she endured after reporting his behavior. But the lawsuit claims that administrators said they couldn't fire Hill because he wasn't an employee, but ordered him to receive counseling about sexual harassment. The father of a teenager who contracted brain-eating amoeba after rafting at the U.S. National Whitewater Center filed a lawsuit against the facility Monday on the one-year anniversary of her death. Channel 9 asked the Whitewater Center if they changed the wording of their waiver after Seitz died, but they responded by saying they don't discuss court cases. Water samples from the park detected the presence of an amoeba at levels the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had not previously seen. [56], Deputy White House counsel Vince Foster looked into this matter, but did not take any action before his death. The lawsuit outlined complaints made by 10 anonymous women,in addition to Vander Pas. Stadtmueller faulted Blackborn for letting Goettl-Vander Pas self-collect evidence, as clients may fail to disclose all information or omit documents given to their counsel. [6] Susan McDougal was granted a pardon by President Clinton before he left office. [10] In spring of 1978, McDougal proposed that the Clintons join him and his wife, Susan, in buying 230 acres (93ha) of undeveloped land along the south bank of the White River near Flippin, Arkansas, in the Ozark Mountains. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members. [7], The term "Whitewater" is sometimes used to include other controversies from the Bill Clinton administration, especially Travelgate, Filegate, and the circumstances surrounding Vince Foster's death, that were also investigated by the Whitewater Independent Counsel.[8]. [10][14] When Bill Clinton failed to win re-election in 1980, Jim McDougal lost his job as the governor's economic aide and decided to go into banking. [20] The reasons for the unequal capital contributions by the Clintons and McDougals are unknown but the President's critics cited the discrepancy as evidence that then-Governor Clinton was to contribute to the project in other ways. Seitz, 18, died of a rare brain infection caused by a single-celled animal, the amoeba Naegleria fowleri, days after visiting the center on June 8, 2016, with a church group. Her lawyer should have told her to preserve them, Stadtmueller said. Vander Pas is asking a federal judge to find that the actions of UW-Whitewater and the UW Board of Regents were illegal and in violation of Title IX. The new initiative would need the approval of the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Technical College systems. + Caption. [5] Susan McDougal served 18 months in prison for contempt of court for refusing to answer questions relating to Whitewater. Avoid water-related activities in warm fresh water during periods of high water temperature and low water levels. On Dec. 17, 2018, Kopper, Hill's wife, resigned amid the sexual harassment allegations. In July of that year, McDougal resigned from Madison Guaranty. Seitz was in Charlotte from Ohio with a youth group. To file a lawsuit in court, you have to be someone directly affected by the legal dispute you are suing about. [33] In the Starr Report, Starr said "the jobs and money paid to Mr. Hubbell by friends and contributors to the President had raised serious questions about whether such assistance was designed to influence Mr. Hubbells testimony about Madison-related matters". Hubbell was later recorded in prison saying "I need to roll over one more time" regarding the Rose Law firm lawsuit. A park employee wrote to a county commissioner to complain that the water quality had grown so poor that raft guides routinely suffered from staph infections, ringworm and other skin illnesses. Neither Vander Pas nor her attorney, Lisle Blackbourn, responded to requests for comment. Earlier this year, Channel 9 reported on a tentative settlement. 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Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Outside investigators hired by UW System concluded that Hill sexually harassed female employees and identified a pattern to his behavior. "With a waiver, generally a judge will interpret the terms of the waiver and determine whether it bars the lawsuit," Wyatt said. One owner, tired of the many reporters who visited the site, hung a sign saying "Go Home, Idiots". Former UW-Whitewater student sues over sexual harassment by former (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). In its court filing, the Whitewater Center simply says it denies the most serious allegations in the Seitz lawsuit. She was thrown overboard, causing her nose and head to go. The past practice led to lawsuits alleging that judges are incentivized to impose the maximum assessment to increase court revenue. Things to Do at the U.S. National Whitewater Center - Charlottes Got A Lot For the . The 1,100-acre nonprofit facility in northwest Mecklenburg operates on county . According to a lawsuit filed in 2018, Seitz contracted the amoeba while whitewater rafting at the US National Whitewater Center. Apr 27, 2023. By the time the Whitewater lots were surveyed and available for sale at the end of 1979, interest rates had climbed to near 20%. This story was originally published June 19, 2017, 5:39 PM. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in journalism and political science. Family of teen killed by brain-eating amoeba from whitewater - WFLA According to the suit, the family alleges the Whitewater Center, "Negligently breached its duty of care owed to Lauren.".