The University of Utah police department honored a dispatcher and two school administrators for how they responded to student Lauren McCluskey’s concerns before her slaying and how they dealt with questions after it — awards that come despite a blistering independent review that found several staffers mishandled her case.
The employees received the distinctions at a ceremony Wednesday afternoon, according to a program for the event. The celebration was held within the department and was not publicly announced.
McCluskey’s parents — who have criticized how police dismissed their daughter’s reports of harassment for weeks up before her murder — said the honors seem disrespectful and out of touch.