John Diamond, the top spokesman for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville until he was fired last year, is one of five finalists for a similar position with the University of Wisconsin System.
Diamond lost his job in August. His role at UA put him near the center of a dispute over what financial records and other documents should be made public in the wake of an overspending problem within the university’s main fundraising division.
Diamond’s boss, Chris Wyrick, a fundraising leader, cited a deteriorating working relationship in the firing. Chancellor G. David Gearhart called a news conference detailing angry behavior and a refusal by Diamond to respond to Wyrick, the university’s vice chancellor for university advancement.
But Diamond has said his firing was in part for voicing his belief that UA wasn’t following the state’s open-records law. Diamond later told state legislators that Gearhart, in a meeting with other university officials, told them to “get rid of” budget documents handed out at the meeting. Gearhart has said he never ordered anyone to destroy documents.
Diamond interviewed Thursday to be vice president of university relations for the UW System, a newly created position reporting to the top official of the system.
“There’s been no date set for when an announcement will be made,” said Heather LaRoi, a system spokesman.
Arkansas, Pages 15 on 03/22/2014