A University of New Haven lecturer behind canceling a campus appearance by Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke has come forward to apologize for misrepresenting the popular conservative sheriff.

Patrick Malloy, a senior lecturer at the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, issued a statement last week saying he and university officials decided not to finalize the event with Sheriff Clarke because of his political views and extravagant requests for his arrival, which Mr. Malloy admitted he “unintentionally” misrepresented.

“I would like to apologize and take responsibility for my actions that have compromised the University of New Haven and put the community in a difficult position with regard to my discussions with Sheriff David Clarke to speak at the University,” Mr. Malloy said in a statement posted on the university’s Facebook page.

Sheriff Clarke told a local Fox News affiliate that he was asked to be a keynote speaker at the school’s 25th Annual Markle Symposium later this month. He said his office recently received a call, however, rescinding the invitation because of the sheriff’s vocal opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement.

“The gentleman was very apologetic, he was sincere, he felt bad about having to make the call but he said they were pulling back the invitation and were disinviting,” Sheriff Clarke told Fox. “He said people at the university didn’t like some of the things I’ve said about Black Lives Matter.”

One day before Mr. Malloy came forward, the university issued a statement saying no formal invitation was extended and that the decision was made because the sheriff reportedly demanded first-class airfare, a presidential hotel suite, and transportation from the airport in a black SUV.

“The decision to not extend an invitation to Sheriff Clarke was based on these requests, which the University could not accommodate,” the school said. “Should the appropriate occasion arise in the future, we would consider inviting him to campus.”

Sheriff Clarke denied the school’s claim that a formal invitation was never granted and said, “I’ve never in my life asked for a presidential suite.”

Now, Mr. Malloy is admitting that it was a political move, and that he misrepresented the sheriff’s requests in discussions with university officials, Fox reported.

“I approached Sheriff Clarke in June about speaking at the Markle Symposium,” Mr. Malloy wrote. “In the subsequent weeks, I exchanged multiple emails with his assistant about logistics. I was not completely accurate, though, with the information I shared with University officials. I indicated that Sheriff Clarke made a series of demands around his travel arrangements. I unintentionally misrepresented what the Sheriff asked for.

“Ultimately, in collaboration with the dean of the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, we decided not to finalize his arrangements to visit campus when it was determined his appearance could potentially become politically polarizing in light of the imminent presidential election. My colleagues and I in the Lee College determined that this talk would be more appropriate for another time,” he wrote. “I realize that my actions put the University and its leadership at risk. I sincerely apologize to President Kaplan, the University community and Sheriff Clarke.”

A petition demanding that the school re-invite Sheriff Clarke surpassed 3,100 signatures.

UNH President Steven H. Kaplan, who said he had never heard of Sheriff Clarke before this controversy, told the New Haven Register that he would have to think hard about leaving open the possibility of having the sheriff on campus.

“I’m saying that I would have to give it a lot more thought and decide whether it would be prudent to have him,” Mr. Kaplan said Monday.

And “why did he wait two months?” the university president asked. “To me it’s characteristic, not just of this discussion … that in this day of social media … we tend to accuse people of things without first asking them or contacting them.”

Sheriff Clarke told the Register that the timing was irrelevant.

“Whether I said something in August or now he should have had the integrity to tell the truth,” he said.

“Now he puts this on me,” the sheriff said. “I shouldn’t have had to do anything. He should have had the courage to tell the truth about the circumstances.

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