I would take this back a little further. Say what you want about the University of Texas, but one thing they do well is cover themselves legally. I am assuming that they or a consulting firm had properly vetted Beard prior to the contract signing. I wonder if Randi had been flagged as a potential loose-cannon and that they were keeping an extra eye on her? Just random musings on my part.
On an unrelated but related subject, I also wonder if CDC's influence has been devalued in the upper circles. He has certainly been trending upwards with all of his recent hires and expansion projects. If it comes out in a potential lawsuit that he did state (OR WRITE) a belief that Beard was innocent, as Beard's lawyer has claimed, and it somehow results in an ugly settlement, what happens next? Even without this charge, the entire situation has placed him in a unpleasant, compromised position, as he has been Beard's biggest cheerleader. The next few months may turn out to be very interesting.
In this country, we love to see you climb up the ladder. Then, we love to tear you down. Following your fall, we love to see a contrite, humbled, better version of yourself re-emerge. My close friends believe that Beard will NEVER again attain a position as mighty as what he held at UT. I think he can and will re-emerge at the top. I'm curious what people here think.