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USF Officials Begin Investigation Of Dean's Bike Theft

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By LINDSAY PETERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 24, 2009

TAMPA - University of South Florida officials investigating a high-ranking dean's theft of a student's bicycle questioned two students involved with the incident this morning.

"It was very congenial, quite pleasant under the circumstances," said Jason Bavel, an attorney representing students Timothy Boyd and Christine Dillingham.

Boyd spent about an hour with the administrators, vice provost Dwayne Smith and Paula Knaus, associate dean for faculty and staff affairs. Dillingham spent about 30 minutes, Bavel said. Neither revealed anything that hadn't already been reported.

The incident has attracted widespread attention because it was captured on a security tape and later posted on YouTube.

The tape shows Dillingham parking the red mountain bike next to a railing behind a research center at USF about 2 p.m. Feb. 9. Associate vice president Abdul Rao and another man are later seen loading the bike into a minivan and driving away.

Boyd, a graduate student, owns the bike, valued at about $100.

Rao, who made $384,000 a year at USF, said he was only borrowing the bike temporarily for the man who was with him in the tape, a day laborer who had done work at Rao's home and needed transportation.

Rao resigned about a week later, agreeing to give up his contract in exchange for a $50,000 settlement. Last week, he rescinded his resignation, saying he hadn't been given enough time to think through such a serious decision. But the university rejected the move, saying Rao was no longer a USF employee.

Rao held several posts at USF but his primary job was administering research grants.

Bavel said that one of the issues that came up during this morning's meeting was Rao's efforts to get Boyd to withdraw the complaint he had filed with the USF police, after Dillingham reported the bike missing.

Boyd said he was called into a meeting with Rao two days after the bike was taken, as word was circulating that the security tape had been copied and was being posted on YouTube. In the meeting, Boyd said, Rao wanted him to call the USF police to say there had been a misunderstanding.

While they were talking, Boyd said, Rao took a call, then told Boyd that his bike had been returned.
USF spokesman Michael Hoad said that Smith and Knaus planned to interview everyone with knowledge of the bike theft, including Rao.

Reporter Lindsay Peterson can be reached at (813) 259-7834.

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