UW School of Law Dean W.H. "Joe" Knight is undergoing his mandatory five-year performance review. However, the dean is also facing a potential investigation by the state Executive Ethics Board because of a complaint filed against him last quarter.

The complaint charges that "Dean Knight has used UW computing equipment and facilities to conduct [State Farm Insurance Company] business" and violated Revised Code of Washington 42.52.160, which prohibits public "use of persons, money, or property for private gain" by state employees. Further details allege that between 2002 and 2005, nearly 400 private business e-mails were sent by Knight on behalf of State Farm during working hours.

While the complaint was officially filed Oct. 24, 2006, UW officials have already dealt with the outlined issues, said Norm Arkans, UW spokesman.

"Following a public records request on Dean Knight about a year ago, we determined that he was violating a state statute," he said. "We informed him to stop, which he did."

Knight expects the ethics board will find no substance to the complaint brought against him. UW administrators were fully aware that Knight was a State Farm Insurance Company board member before hiring him to head the law school in 2001.

"I have given blood, sweat and tears for UW," he said. "And [the complaint] is hurtful. I have done nothing wrong."

Notwithstanding the possible investigation, Arkans does not believe that the dean's five-year review will be put on hiatus.

"I doubt the five-year review board will hold for the ethics review committee to complete its investigation," he said. "They are on a different time table."

Because anyone can file an ethics complaint anonymously, Executive Ethics Board Director Susan Harris said that ethics complaints dealing with e-mail and computer use are not uncommon.

"It will be a few months before we get to Dean Knight's case," she said. "But probably in the neighborhood of 75-80 percent of all complaints are dismissed per year."

Despite his current circumstances, Knight remains optimistic about the future and has a message for UW students.

"You are going to have trials all your life," he said. "No matter how hard one works or [if] one succeeds, there will always be people who challenge what you do."

Reach reporter Nathan Lee at nathanlee@thedaily.washington.edu.