Campus Politics

Today I learned that a most undeserving student won a PhD year fellowship award. This student stole the main research idea for his prospectus from another student. (This student did talk to faculty but did not want to pursue a bigger fight for various reasons.) Also the awardee has switched labs 4 times in the last 4 years. Has manipulated, lied and shown zero academic integrity throughout classes and interactions w/ other graduate students. He also has had at least 3 females complain about sexual harassment to faculty, yet somehow this was not placed in his permanent file and he received no punishments/ warnings (that anyone is aware of). Yet he wins this 'award.' How is it that this happens? When other deserving candidates were also nominated. He has not published more, or even done his own work most the time. Who wrote him letters? How does the department stand by and say congrats to someone like this? It makes me question the whole stupid political academic system. How do you fight this sort of thing?