USU Transparency Project raises concerns over leadership

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on April 1 to emphasize document-based reporting and reflect accurate information. Claims from USUTP are presented as unverified and framed to reflect the group’s limited transparency and online presence, while Reddit references are treated as public reaction, not confirmed information. An additional statement from USU was added post-publication.

A recently formed independent self-described watchdog group with a small online following is raising questions about the possibility of a conflict of interest pertaining to the departure of a top Utah State University administrator. The university’s refusal to answer questions about the timeline is drawing criticism from online voices.

The USU Transparency Project, an independent organization describing itself as “committed to transparency, accountability, and equality at Utah State University” posted its claims. The organization, USUTP, raised concerns about former USU Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John O’Neil’s departure from the university. The group posts its findings regularly to Reddit, where commenters react under anonymous, unverifiable usernames, and Instagram, where it currently has fewer than a dozen followers.

The Utah Statesman attempted to contact USU’s Office of Marketing & Communications and O’Neil with a request for a comment, but neither responded.

According to Utah business registration records, O’Neil registered a private consulting firm, Old Main Consulting LLC, on Feb. 12. The university announced his departure five days later on Feb. 17. According to O’Neil’s posts on LinkedIn, he had already begun advertising for the new firm on Feb. 16.

USUTP’s concerns were centered on the window of time: Unless O’Neil’s official last day was Feb. 11 or earlier, he may have been running a private corporation with interests differing from the university’s while still holding all access to USU’s confidential records and data.

When USUTP asked USU officials to confirm O’Neil’s official end date, the university directed them to file a formal GRAMA request. GRAMA, Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act, is the state’s equivalent of a federal public records request. The group argued O’Neil’s official end date is public information and not protected by employee privacy laws.

When asked questions about O’Neil’s exit, USUTP said a university spokesperson told them, “With President Mortensen in his new role for just under four months, we don’t have answers to the questions regarding prior decisions.”

Before former USU President Elizabeth Cantwell created the position when she arrived from the University of Arizona in 2023, O’Neil’s initial role at USU did not exist. The position, vice president for operational strategy and special adviser to the president, came with an annual salary of $332,946.06, but when benefits are added, it was $482,563.56. President Brad L. Mortensen has confirmed the role will not be backfilled.

An unverified Reddit user who claimed they knew O’Neil personally and called themself a recent USU graduate provided context about his background in a comment under a USUTP post.

“John came from a National Security background, working with CIA, DHS, and several three-letter agencies,” u/Key_Philosopher8590 wrote. “He offered USU strategic perspectives in a rapidly changing higher education landscape.”

The commenter went on to add O’Neil “absolutely” served the university well and was seen at student events more frequently than other members of the upper administration.

The post had other reactions, some pushing back on the framing of the story.

“Lots of university folks run consulting businesses while still employed,” u/justus_trail wrote. “It’s a typical side hustle. It doesn’t necessarily by itself have to be a conflict of interest.”

USUTP agreed with the point in its reply.

“You are absolutely right — simply having a side business does not automatically create a conflict of interest,” the group wrote. “And we have no evidence to suggest that O’Neil’s private venture would be a prohibited conflict either.”

USUTP added a disclaimer noting the limits of its findings. In the disclaimer attached to the post, the group states it found no immediate evidence O’Neil accessed records inappropriately or abused his position during the transition period.

“We are simply pointing out what appears to be a significant lapse in judgment,” the group wrote.

The group made notes about the situation and how it could represent a potential violation of USU Policy 2301, which governs individual conflicts of interest for university employees and any non-compete agreements O’Neil signed as a vice president. Federal laws, including FERPA, which protects student data, could also be implicated if a for-profit entity retained access to protected university records.

This is not the first time transparency concerns have encircled USU’s upper administration. A state audit launched in 2025 cited “concerns about USU’s governance, leadership, and culture of policy noncompliance” stemming from the Cantwell era.

USUTP said it plans to continue pressing the university for answers and indicated it is investigating additional matters, including the recent departure of USU Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Mica McKinney.

After publication on March 26, university spokesperson Amanda DeRito reached out with the following statement in an email to the Statesman.