A former University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point student who gained notoriety for his unique way of protesting the UW System’s use of segregated fees was arrested at a United Council conference Saturday.
The latest incident was one in of a series of arrests for Jeffrey Decker for stepping foot on UW System property. Decker, who is the son of former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker, has objected to what he sees as a lack of control over the UW System’s student fees and has utilized unique protests methods such as traveling to campuses in a dragon suit.
Decker began challenging the UW System’s use of segregated fees in 2010 when he re-enrolled in Stevens Point, where he had already received a degree.
After the UW-Stevens Point chancellor claimed Decker made threats and aggressively stabbed a stack of papers on his desk with a pen during a meeting, he was suspended for over a year and banned from university property.
In September 2011 Decker violated the ban and attended a Board of Regents meeting where he allegedly stood and blocked the view of attendees. The Dane County Circuit Court granted the Board of Regents a harassment injunction against Decker. But in February, the court of appeals repealed the injunction, saying Decker’s behavior did not align with harassment as defined in state statutes.
The Board of Regents challenged the repeal in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, where the case is still pending. The UW System will not consider the appeal to be in effect until the Supreme Court makes a decision, according to a letter Decker provided that he received from Department of Justice attorney.
Decker said the UW System does not have legal standing for the claim and that the arrests constitute “serious civil rights violations.”
Meanwhile, Decker has four open cases involving his presence on a UW System campus, including the latest at UW-Stevens Point.
Decker said he went to the university to videotape a conference of state student organization United Council Saturday, citing issues with the organization regarding a lack of transparency about its use of funding. Decker said he had plans with the organization’s executive director to meet over coffee, particularly to talk about a United Council campaign to increase the power students had over segregated fees, which Decker said lost steam.
After filming the convention for twenty minutes, Decker said he left for a short period of time, then returned and was arrested almost immediately.
Portage County District Attorney Louis Molepske Jr. told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he plans to charge Decker with disorderly conduct, bail jumping and most likely violating the harassment injunction.
Decker declined to discuss the arrest, but did say the police were called simply because he was present.
“The police were called right as I was spotted,” Decker said.
The executive director was not immediately available for comment.
Decker said he is committed to challenging the UW System about its management of students’ finances.
“No one is afraid of Jeffrey Decker,” he said. “Administrators are afraid of real student power.”
Editor's note: This story was updated Dec. 14 at 4:40 pm to reflect factual inaccuracies.
