UMass Amherst Retains Boston Attorney Natashia Tidwell to Conduct Independent Review of Allegations Concerning Alex Morse

AMHERST, Mass. – Natashia Tidwell, a partner at the Boston-based law firm of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, has been retained by the University of Massachusetts Amherst to conduct an independent, comprehensive review of allegations by the UMass Democrats, a student organization, concerning the alleged conduct of Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, a former adjunct faculty member at the university.

As part of her investigation, Tidwell is asking members of the UMass Amherst community, as well as anyone else who may have relevant facts regarding the allegations, to contact her directly at natashia.tidwell@saul.com or 617-723-3300. She will respect the privacy interests of those who come forward.

Tidwell will take all appropriate time required to conduct a comprehensive review. No specific date has been set to complete the review.

The university’s confidential resource offices, including the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health, the Faculty and Staff Assistance program, and the Center for Women and Community, are available to individuals who may need support or have questions regarding confidentiality.

The university believes the nature of the allegations initially raised in the Massachusetts Daily Collegian necessitate a thorough and independent review, with the possibility of including a determination of whether students were subjected to a hostile learning environment as articulated in its campus policies, which are based on and guided by federal and state anti-discrimination law, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

Tidwell specializes in higher education, K-12 education, white collar and government litigation. She has led internal investigations for colleges, universities and independent secondary schools on a variety of matters, including Title IX.