MIKE FORBES: TUBIST, ARRANGER, and COMPOSER

a compilation of external links, case records, Facebook posts, and police reports

May 10, 2006

These documents were obtained through an Open Records Request and reference an Illinois State University police wiretap.

December 17, 2007

From The Pantagraph

Trial of prof accused of sex with student continues

Edith Brady-Lunny Dec 17, 2007

BLOOMINGTON - In the context of a former Illinois State University professor who helped a student obtain work, the phrase "you owe me" did not include sex, the defense attorney for the professor agued Monday.

Michael Forbes, 34, was charged with two counts of official misconduct for convincing an undergraduate student to perform a sex act on him April 26, 2006 as payment for his help in arranging musical performances.

He resigned his ISU post in May 2006 and now works as a cab driver and part-time bartender in Wisconsin.

A bench trial that started Oct. 25 continued Monday into one count of official misconduct. Prosecutors earlier dismissed one count.

The former Illinois State University music professor said Monday that the student initiated flirtatious conduct with him after the two performed together at several music gigs outside the university. In March 2006, Forbes said he got into the woman's car after a rehearsal with the intention of talking to her about her behavior.

"She had been extremely flirtatious during rehearsal. I decided to talk to her about it," said Forbes. After getting into the car "one thing lead to another," said Forbes, and the two kissed and hugged.

In a police interview played in court Monday, Forbes characterized the relationship as "two people who were attracted to one another, wanted to fool around, and did."

Forbes said a conversation between ISU Police Detective Don Knapp and officials at a North Carolina university resulted in cancellation of a contract he was offered last year with the university.

Defense lawyer John Prior told Judge Kevin Fitzgerald Monday that the state did not meet its burden on the charge. Any government employee could end up in a similar situation, facing criminal charges after the break-up of a relationship, said Prior.

"The danger in this type of situation is that anyone can allege official misconduct if the relationship goes sour. As long as you have a government job, you can be targeted for misconduct on skimpy evidence," said Prior.

The professor and his 21-year-old student were adults when the alleged incident occurred, Prior argued.

Assistant State's Attorney Jane Foster said the woman went along with Forbes because she was fearful of his influence on her grade.

The woman "testified that she believed he could affect her grade and success at the university," said Foster.

Forbes, a former assistant professor of Tuba and Euphonium in the School of Music, contends he did not teach or supervise the trombone student.

He admitted he arranged for the woman to perform at several events outside the university. Forbes, who is married, also hired the student to babysit for his child.

Forbes is scheduled to answer questions Tuesday about the April 26, 2006 incident when he resumes the witness stand Tuesday.

December 19, 2007

From KHQA/ABC News

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:26:38 GMT —

A former Illinois State University professor was acquitted of official misconduct charges Tuesday.

Michael Forbes was an associate professor in the school's music department.

He admitted to engaging in a sexual act with an undergraduate student who was baby-sitting at his home.

Judge Kevin Fitzgerald says there wasn't enough evidence to show a connection between Forbes' official duties at the university and the sexual activity.

Forbes says the relationship with the woman was consensual, although he still faces a civil suit filed by the student in federal court.

March 17, 2009 Order in Case No. 07-1095

April 26, 2010

Case No. 07-1095

May 5, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Josh Kaul P.O. Box 7857, Wisconsin Attorney General, Madison, WI 53707-7857

March 5, 2020

Wisconsin Stat. § 19.77 Annual Summary

MADISON, Wis. – The following is a summary of public records case law-related decisions for 2019, which the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) is required to compile pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 19.77.

The statute says that annually, the Attorney General shall summarize case law and attorney general opinions relating to due process and other legal issues involving the collection, maintenance, use, provision of access to, sharing or archiving of personally identifiable information by authorities. The Attorney General shall provide the summary, at no charge, to interested persons.

I. CASE LAW

Forbes v. University of Wisconsin – Platteville, et al., No. 19-CV-380 (Wis. Cir. Ct. Grant Cty. Oct. 18, 2019)

This case addressed a request for a court order enjoining the release of the records pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 19.356.

The University of Wisconsin – Platteville (UW-Platteville) received a public records request from CNN for records related to Michael Forbes’ (Forbes) employment as an Associate Professor in the music department. When Forbes left UW-Platteville, the parties signed a settlement agreement, which allowed for the removal of any records from his personnel file that “related to the investigations and related charges that led up to the Notice of Charges and Dismissal.” When CNN requested records, Forbes filed this action and requested the circuit court enjoin UW-Platteville from releasing records. He claimed that according to the settlement agreement, the records removed from his personnel file were no longer records.

Forbes first argued that the court was required to prohibit disclosure because UW- Platteville had not provided specific reasons for its release of records. The court rejected this argument and said a “records custodian must give reasons only when it denies a request, not when it grants one.”

In order to determine whether there were any reasons not to disclose the records, the court applied the balancing test, which balances “the public interest in access to government records against the public interest in keeping the record confidential.” The court concluded that the public interest in disclosure of records into a disciplinary investigation—an investigation that ultimately led to Forbes’ separation from employment—was “paramount.” Moreover, the court found that “to the extent the investigation was ill-founded and/or poorly conducted and/or wrongly concluded, the public has an interest in knowing the investigatory practices and policies of public institutions.”

The court also concluded that the settlement agreement to remove records from Forbes’ personnel file “may not be used to prohibit open records disclosure.” The records were not destroyed, and the university was required to keep them under the pertinent records retention statutes, regulations, and policies. The court reasoned that “[p]arties cannot contract away the public’s right to public information,” but did not rule on whether the university’s retention of the records breached the settlement agreement, calling that “another issue for another day.”

Therefore, the circuit court denied Forbes’ request to enjoin disclosure of the records related to his employment and ordered UW-Platteville to redact all identifying information relating to students prior to disclosure.

December 28, 2023

THE TUBA TURKEY

The tubist, Mike Forbes, just announced his appointment at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. This appointment reveals systemic rot in our industry. One must wonder, with so many musically and ethically qualified tubists around, why would UW-Milwaukee pick this guy?

Let’s first consider the tubist, Robyn Black, who is the principal tubist of the Milwaukee Symphony, and about as local as it gets. Being one of maybe two or three (?) women tubists in major orchestras in the US, one might think that Robyn is exceptional. She has also won a bunch of solo competitions. My spin on Google also reveals no sexual harassment allegations. Seems like a winner on paper to me. Maybe she wasn’t interested. Or—maybe her participation in this search was not solicited, or maybe, she was not desired.

Instead, UW - Milwaukee chose to bring in Mike Forbes. On paper, he seems like much less of a success than Robyn Black. He plays in orchestras which aren’t nearly as fancy as the Milwaukee Symphony and doesn’t list any competition wins in his bio.

But more importantly than qualifications or lack of qualifications, Forbes had been fired from Illinois State University previously. He might say “resigned", because he “resigned" the month after they told him he’d be fired, according to the public document linked below about his sexual harassment allegations. I can’t read anywhere in this document that Forbes was officially found guilty of anything. But please remember how high the standards are for sexual harassment to reach the level of being illegal and for police to lock white men up.

I am told Forbes “just locked down his second university appointment and presented at a tuba conference this week.” (I think they meant The Midwest Clinic.) Here are some highlights from this document about Forbes’ sexcapades, but you can read it all yourself at the link below. Surely, UW-Milwaukee knew of these allegations since they are public. But it’s all cool for them!

There are really too many allegations to dismiss when considering putting this man in a room alone with female students. Surely also, Forbes’ other employer, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, is not living on another planet, unaware of the allegations which had been leveled against Forbes in court and with with police by multiple women. Think for a moment about the double standard here. How could you have this kind of record, not backed up my any musical exceptionalism, and get hired by a major university to teach if you were anyone else? It’s the #whitemantrumpcard.

Excerpts and link:

https://casetext.com/case/hunt-v-forbes-2...

Forbes attended a student's house party, the "Tuba Turkey" party, with ISU music students. No other faculty members attended the party, and Forbes did so because he felt pressured by his students due to his faculty position. {REDACTED1}, an ISU music student, attended that Tuba Turkey party as well. Afterward, she complained to Dr. James Major ("Dr. Major"), ISU's Director of the School of Music, that Forbes' presence at the party made her feel uncomfortable, and while at the party, Forbes suggested she take off her shirt and make out with the male tuba students...

In February 2005, {REDACTED1} attended another student house party where Forbes and other faculty members were present. Afterward, in March 2005, she complained to the ODAA that Forbes had made suggestive comments about her skinny appearance, put his arm around her, put his hand up her shirt and started rubbing her back, and eventually leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. {REDACTED1} went forward with a formal complaint against Forbes.

At the same February 2005 party which prompted {REDACTED1}'s formal complaint against Forbes, {REDACTED2} alleges that she too was sexually harassed by Forbes. {REDACTED2} alleges that Forbes bumped up against her, put his hand on her stomach, and told her she felt really good.

On September 26, 2005, the ISU Police Department received a letter from the City of Saint Peter, Minnesota's Police Department. The letter explained that {REDACTED3}, a 19-year-old female student at Gustavus Adolphus College, alleged that she had a sexual encounter with Forbes while he was visiting the school for a Tubonium program that included visiting college staff members. {REDACTED3} further alleged that following the program, she felt pressured into doing sexual acts with Forbes in her dorm room. She did not pursue criminal charges.

But the ODAA further noted that it was of concern to it that Forbes had two allegations of sexual harassment filed against him within a six month period of time.

{REDACTED2} played the trombone, and was a music student at ISU's School of Music from Fall 2003 through Spring 2007. Between the February 2005 house party and December 2005, a number of incidents occurred between {REDACTED2} and Forbes involving Forbes commenting to or touching {REDACTED2} in what {REDACTED2} believed to be a sexually harassing manner. The incidents continued into 2006. Some occurred on a stairwell at ISU, another incident occurred in {REDACTED2}'s car in February 2006, another in a practice room at Cook Hall on ISU's campus in March 2006, and finally an incident on April 22, 2006. Prior to April 22, 2006, {REDACTED2} had babysat for Forbes' daughter a number of times at the home of Forbes and his wife during Spring 2006. On April 22, 2006, {REDACTED2} arrived at the Forbes' home to babysit their daughter and found only Forbes and his daughter home. Soon after her arrival, an incident between {REDACTED2} and Forbes ensued where Forbes kissed a tattoo on {REDACTED2}'s hip, they kissed, Forbes exposed his penis, and {REDACTED2} kissed it.

In the spring of 2006, not long after the ODAA's investigative findings regarding the {REDACTED3} complaint came out, the SFSC discussed Forbes' continued employment at ISU. The SFSC considered his performance as a faculty member, his previous insubordination in failing to follow Dr. Major's directives regarding parties, and his possibly inappropriate behavior that had been investigated and found unsubstantiated by the ODAA. In a March 2006, letter, ISU informed Forbes that his employment would terminate at the end of the 2006-07 school year. In an April 28, 2006, letter, Forbes informed Dr. Major that he was resigning his position effective May 15, 2006, and he would be taking a position at another university. {This is presumably UW - La Crosse.}

On April 16, 2007, {REDACTED2} filed her Complaint against Forbes and ISU, alleging a Section 1983 claim against Forbes and a Title IX claim against ISU as a result of its alleged deliberate indifference to the sexual harassment of {REDACTED2} and other students at ISU. The matter is fully briefed, and oral argument was held on April 14, 2010. This Order follows.

The Court was informed that Forbes was discharged in bankruptcy on December 4, 2008, and as a result, Plaintiff {REDACTED2} was permanently enjoined from asserting personal liability against him. See 3/17/2009 Order, Dkt 25, p. 1. On March 17, 2009, the Court found that as a nominal party, Forbes does not need representation in this action. Id. at 3.

April 2, 2024

Forbes’ publishing company, his “musical home,” announced the publication of his Concerto for Tuba/Euphonium Quartet, commissioned by the International Tuba-Euphonium Association.

April 29, 2024

I mentioned Mike Forbes in this piece entitled 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏, in the context of his affiliation with Demondrae Thurman and their tuba quartet.

May 16, 2024

This excerpt is from Marissa Meador’s piece for the Indiana Daily Student.

Along with his former roles in Jacobs, Thurman plays in the internationally acclaimed Sotto Voce Tuba Quartet with Mike Forbes, a former Illinois State University professor who has faced allegations of sexual misconduct from several different individuals in the early 2000s, according to court records. ISU’s Office of Diversity and Affirmative Action found the allegations to be unsubstantiated, though ISU ultimately informed Forbes they were terminating him in 2006 for the number of the allegations made in a short period of time against him and his failure to follow directions from ISU staff for how he should behave at parties with students. Forbes is currently an instructor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. 

As of August 12, 2024, Mike Forbes is a Yamaha artist.