He worked with McMaster to elect Caslen. Now he’s leading USC’s new presidential search

The top official overseeing the search for a new University of South Carolina president coordinated with Gov. Henry McMaster’s staff in 2019 to promote the candidacy of now-former USC President Robert Caslen.

Thad Westbrook, a board of trustees member since 2010 who on Friday was named the chair of USC’s presidential search committee, coordinated with Gov. Henry McMaster’s chief of staff, Trey Walker, in rallying trustees’ votes for Caslen’s presidency, documents show.

McMaster’s interference in the 2019 presidential search drew protests, a vote of no confidence from Faculty Senate and a formal inquiry from USC’s accreditation body that found “undue influence” from politicians in the 2019 presidential search, The State reported previously. Since the 2019 presidential search, USC has sought to regain the trust of its accrediting body and faculty by creating policies “designed to address and eliminate potential external influence on board decisions,” according to an archived news release from USC.

The State left two messages for Westbrook Monday and also attempted to set up an interview with him through the university. Westbrook did not return the calls, and USC said it was unable to set up an interview.

During the Friday board meeting, Westbrook said he is committed to a search process fair to everyone involved and asked the public to give him a chance.

“The university, the board and the search committee are committed to a search process that is fair and equitable,” Westbrook said at the meeting. “That process must yield a diverse pool of highly-qualified candidates for the position of president of the University of South Carolina. This is our commitment and we ask for the chance to demonstrate that commitment to the stakeholders and to the public.”

Though USC has changed its policy, Westbrook was frequently in touch with McMaster’s chief of staff during the last presidential search two years ago.

“Did the Gov speak to Rose? Also Molly will get a call soon. Do you want to give her a heads up and remind her that the governor needs her support?” Westbrook said in a text message to Walker on July 1, 2019, regarding their mutual support of Caslen’s candidacy.

Rose Buyck Newton has been a USC board member since 2018. Molly Spearman, as the state Superintendent of Education, is also a board member.

According to the texts, Westbrook expressed a willingness to involve more politicians than just the governor.

After Walker suggested involving Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, who chairs the powerful Senate Finance Committee, Westbrook responded by saying “Leatherman should want to help because it means nobody will try to take Fred Carter away (from) Francis Marion.”

Carter is the president of Francis Marion University in Florence, which is in Leatherman’s district.

“Katrina Shealy has offered to help. She can be very loud for us,” Westbrook said of the Republican Lexington state senator in a follow-up text to Walker.

On July 11, 2019, after Walker told Westbrook that former Democratic Presidential Candidate Beto O’Rourke had criticized McMaster’s involvement in the presidential search, Westbrook texted back saying “perfect.”

In a separate string of text messages, Walker said, “Our friends on the left played their part publicly,” regarding protests against the 2019 presidential search. In response, Westbrook said, “These legislative and statewide officer endorsements will all help. The opposition did us a favor by moving too early.”

McMaster’s calendar, which was also obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, shows a 30-minute meeting on June 5, 2019, with McMaster, Walker and Westbrook. Around that time, McMaster met with several other board members, such as then-presidential search committee chair Hugh Mobley and then-board chair John Von Lehe, according to his schedule.

Several board members said McMaster forced the board to vote on Caslen’s presidency a month after those meetings. Caslen was approved in an 11-8 vote. Westbrook and Spearman voted for Caslen; Buyck Newton voted against him.

Since then, USC has changed its board policies to minimize the potential for external influences, such as politicians, from influencing major board of trustees decisions.

The policies include requiring an oath of office for board members to “actively resist” any influences that could compromise the board member’s independence. If board members are confronted by a person or group seeking to compromise their independence, USC policy calls for them to cite the policy prohibiting external influence and immediately tell the board chair. USC’s new policies also allow the board to remove fellow members from the presidential search committee who violate board policies, such as allowing inappropriate external influence.

USC created these policies alongside the consultant group Association of Governing Boards. USC’s accrediting body, The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, has reviewed the policy, USC spokesman Jeff Stensland said in a statement.

Asked how the board of trustees chose which members would be on the search committee and who would chair the committee, Stensland said Westbrook “has extensive experience collaborating with various stakeholder groups and has led board reform efforts as head of its Governance Committee. He also served as board liaison to the search committees that brought former Provost Joan Gabel and Palmetto College Chancellor Susan Elkins to the university.”

Also at Friday’s board of trustees meeting, former USC President Harris Pastides was named interim president. Caslen resigned earlier this month after he admitted plagiarizing part of a commencement address.