USF Bicycle Drama Continues To Unfold

University of South Florida officials investigating the disappearance of a bicycle involving a senior associate vice president - who subsequently resigned - questioned two students Tuesday.

"It was very congenial, quite pleasant under the circumstances," said Jason Bavel, an attorney representing students Timothy Boyd, who owns the bicycle, and Christine Dillingham, who was using it when it was taken.

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 had not been reported already.

The case has attracted widespread attention because videotape of it being taken was posted on YouTube.

The images show Dillingham parking the red mountain bike next to a railing behind a research center about 2 p.m. Feb. 9. Senior Associate Vice President Abdul Rao and another man later are seen loading the bike into a minivan and driving away.

Boyd is a graduate student. Campus police gave an estimated value of his bicycle, $100.

Rao, who made $384,000 a year at USF, said he was borrowing the bicycle for the man who was with him when it was taken, 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 Last week, he rescinded his resignation, saying he had not been given enough time to think through such a serious decision. The university rejected the move, saying Rao no longer is 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 the meeting Tuesday was Rao's effort to have Boyd withdraw the complaint he had filed with USF police after Dillingham reported the bike missing.

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

As they were talking, Boyd said, Rao took a call, then told Boyd his bicycle had been returned.

USF spokesman Michael Hoad said Smith and Knaus planned to interview everyone with knowledge of the case, including Rao.