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Dear University of Hawaiʻi ʻOhana, Colleagues, and Friends,

I am writing to you today to update you about the Stevie Wonder concert. I want to assure you on behalf of your university that we are doing everything we can to understand the facts and circumstances regarding this regrettable situation. Unfortunately, the university may have been the victim of fraud. We have referred this matter to the FBI and are fully cooperating with their investigation.

The Board of Regents and I have also initiated a thorough internal investigation of this matter, which will be reported directly to the Chair of the Board of Regents’ Committee on University Audits and me.

To discover all the facts will take time. In the meantime, we urge you not to prejudge the university or any individuals with respect to roles, responsibilities, and actions. We have taken swift action to refund ticket holders, and 98 percent of refunds have been processed. Our student athletes and our fans are of the utmost concern. The Board of Regents and I fully support the efforts of our new Chancellor Tom Apple as he oversees Manoa athletics.

There has been broad coverage in the media, some of it inaccurate, with statements attributed to anonymous sources. Please know that many of these statements are at best speculation and at worst falsehoods, by people both not authorized to speak on behalf of the university and without firsthand knowledge. Any statement not made by Chancellor Apple or the university’s designated spokesperson should be viewed with great caution.

Please remember that the university was a victim here. Although mistakes may have been made, we will do our absolute best to try to prevent something like this from ever happening again. We will not let this deter us from moving forward with the mission of the University of Hawaiʻi. We have many exciting stories and successes at the university, and we should not let the current situation overshadow these. Thank you for your support.

With Aloha,
M.R.C. Greenwood

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