Hindsight being as it is, the Paul Barrows saga never should have dragged into 2005. That the debacle has continued to afflict the University of Wisconsin community in 2006 is merely a stunning testament to the sluggish pace of the justice system and excessive opportunity for appeal within the UW System.

But U.S. District Judge John Shabaz helped bring the beginnings of an end to this sad ordeal Tuesday when he dismissed Mr. Barrows' ludicrous personal lawsuit against Chancellor John Wiley, removing a sizable portion of the ominous cloud that has all-too-long now lingered over Bascom Hall.

The precise rationale behind the dismissal is rife with legalese, but essentially amounts to a claim of qualified immunity on Mr. Wiley's part and a notion of false entitlement on Mr. Barrows' end. In jurisprudent terms, it appears to be the proper decision. And in practical terms, it most certainly is.

That the former vice chancellor has managed to use the legal system in a strained attempt to paint his own depraved self as a victim of sorts is merely a testament to the patently absurd nature of an overly litigious society. While UW must accept the troublesome reality of Mr. Barrows occupying an office in the main corridor of Bascom Hall, this campus should no longer have to endure the wholly ludicrous claims of an ethically-tainted former vice chancellor.

A suit against former Dean of Students Luoluo Hong has been remanded to Dane County Circuit Court for judgment, but such is ultimately of little concern to this campus. Ms. Hong is no longer part of the UW community and, frankly, the petty and childish squabbling of a former dean and a current (yet scorned) administrator make for good theater with minimal collateral damage.

It has been a difficult academic year for Mr. Barrows, having his reputation further sullied by the Steingass report, returning to work in a demoted position and now having his primary tort expelled from federal court. We remain thoroughly unsympathetic on each account, but hope that Mr. Barrows might soon realize his personal welfare, career and future have greater potential elsewhere and move on from Madison accordingly.