Questions surround UC Berkeley chancellor and personal trainer

Even as UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks has been put on the defensive over his household budget and handling of sexual harassment claims against professors and other campus employees, he has being dogged by an unusual investigation involving the personal trainer he and his wife befriended at the university.

The case stems from a whistle-blower complaint against Devin Wicks, a trainer at the Cal Recreational Sports Facility who has regularly worked out with Dirks and his wife, history Associate Professor Janaki Bakhle.

Dirks also received an annual membership at the Cal Recreational Sports Facility valued at $420 from Wicks’ boss — though after questions were raised about the perk, the chancellor paid for his use of the rec center.

Dianne Klein, spokeswoman for UC President Janet Napolitano, declined to comment on why Wicks was on leave, saying the university could not talk about ongoing investigations.

The complaint raised questions about the personal trainer’s relationship with the chancellor and his wife, including whether all the time he spent working out with them and traveling with her to India was on the campus’ dime.

According to Dirks, Bakhle invited Wicks along on the trip because she was allowed to bring a guest and he was swamped with work.

Mike Weinberger, who retired as the director of recreational sports at UC Berkeley in February, called Wicks an “incredibly valuable person committed to serving the university, and an incredible fitness director.”

Weinberger said it had been his decision to give Dirks a free club membership and to allow Wicks to train with him, “spending as much time as he needed, as reasonably requested by the chancellor.”

There’s the string of sexual harassment cases, which prompted a stern warning from Napolitano that the campus do better.