Y. investigating leak of Billings' grades
Inquiry includes probe by school's Honor Code Office
The Deseret Morning News has learned the inquiry includes an investigation by the Honor Code Office, which indicates a student or students may have leaked the document that is private, protected by federal education law. Sources told the newspaper that student employees have been interviewed, including at least one with a direct tie to the Bailey campaign.
Bailey acknowledged a BYU student connected to his campaign had been contacted but said the person knew nothing and was innocent. He encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
"They should be investigating," Bailey said Friday. "Anybody who has a lead, if they've overheard something or someone close to the campaign, they ought to tell BYU."
BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins confirmed an inquiry was under way but declined to say anything more.
Billings was offended when an anonymous source gave copies of his BYU progress report to media outlets. He complained about negativity in the campaign again Friday during a videotaped presentation to the Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce. He was out of town, having flown to Missouri on Thursday for the funeral of his father on Friday.
The report showed Billings did not enroll in business classes at BYU. Billings told the Deseret Morning News that was correct and that a statement that he had studied business at BYU was mistakenly made in a campaign mailer and in the biography on his campaign Web site, www.lewisbillings.com. Billings said the mistake was made when his education was summarized; he studied business at the University of Phoenix.
Billings told the newspaper Oct. 18 the biography on the Web site would be changed, but it had not been altered as of Friday evening.
Billings opponents have also criticized him for saying in campaign literature that he "studied engineering" because while Billings enrolled in engineering classes, the leaked progress report shows he didn't earn any credit.
On his Web site, Billings fires back at his critics, saying it was childish of them to leave stacks of copies of the illegally leaked progress reports at entrances to City Hall on Oct. 19.
After Billings served an LDS mission to Japan, he took a job he assumed would allow him to return to his studies at BYU, but instead it led to a position that required too much travel for that. He said he took classes at several schools over the next decade and is close to a degree. However, he stopped taking classes once former Mayor George Stewart hired him to work for the city.
E-mail: twalch@desnews.com
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