The University of Montana Alexander Blewett Law School is handing over leadership responsibilities to a trio of professors, officially effective Monday.
Monte Mills, Sara Rinfret and Cathay Y.N. Smith will serve as acting deans, an announcement from the university on Tuesday said.
“I’m grateful to Professors Mills, Rinfret, and Smith for stepping forward at this critical time to ensure the Blewett School of Law will continue to fulfill its mission for students, the legal community, and the state of Montana,” said Reed Humphrey, acting provost and vice president for academic affairs, in a campus email. “I’m confident this leadership team will make progress toward a fresh start and a new era of excellence for the Blewett School of Law.”
Humphrey was made interim dean after former Dean Paul Kirgis resigned on Oct. 6.
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“This team of Acting Deans was formed after extensive discussion among the Blewett School of Law faculty,” Humphrey’s statement continued, adding the three would help guide the law school in coming months as a national search for a permanent dean takes place.
Kirgis stepped away from the dean position following an Oct. 5 law school walkout where many students called for him and Associate Dean Sally Weaver to resign from their leadership positions.
As first reported by the Daily Montanan, women from the law school say the dean and associate dean discouraged them from reporting allegations of sexual harassment and assault to the university's Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX.