Florida -- Trouble in Gainesville?

[RunInRed 16,395]

http://www.chronicle.com/article/A-Warning-a-Crusadea/240720?key=f15y8715k1n0EpJg1p9khX8Rf6D84coW8O6HNu-qdkqq4SiVp7XFaSZOhljkPxO4UktEbXdFT1pKSTFlOW94VEc4c2NCTHQ0clBMX2R4OEo0d1FGYkU4NXNmSQ

 

A Warning, a Crusade, and a Public Reckoning at the U. of Florida

By Michael Vasquez July 21, 2017 Premium

Gainesville, Fla.

The warning came in December.

Huntley Johnson, a local attorney known for representing University of Florida athletes who get into trouble, wasn’t happy. His client, a star wide receiver, had been accused of sexual assault, and even though the athlete had been cleared by the university, Mr. Johnson criticized the process.

So he sent the university some demands. In a letter, he requested changes in how sexual-assault cases are handled, including how accused students are treated during an investigation. He also wanted the university to pay nearly $400,000 of the legal fees of the football player, Antonio Callaway.

If those conditions weren’t met, Mr. Johnson wrote, there would be consequences.

"It saddens us to think of the publicity that will be generated," he told the university, "and the incredible amount of money that will be lost in the pursuit of remedies that should be reached quietly, quickly between the parties."

A month later, when the university hadn’t complied, Mr. Johnson showed he was a man of his word. He essentially declared war against his own alma mater and launched a barrage of public-records requests. He has filed more than 75 such requests since January.

The thousands of pages of records he obtained reveal numerous unflattering details about the University of Florida, including pornography purchases by a top administrator and improper spending on a new presidential house.

The continuing battle provides a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of one of the nation’s top public-research universities. It’s also a lesson in the disruption and damage that can occur when someone deeply connected to a university goes rogue.

Month after month, the university has been pummeled by negative headlines in The Gainesville Sun, just as Mr. Johnson promised. Is his crusade a form of accountability? Is it vengeance? Maybe it’s both.

more at the link

[WarTim 3,456]

Wow. Long read but very interesting. If I were a gator I would lose sleep big time over this. Thanks RIR

[Tigerbelle 5,299]

Oh boy.....that's some fascinating reading! That lawyer sure is airing all the dirty laundry in Gatorville. 

[AU64 10,122]

Sounds like what probably goes in at most major state universities....many of which are political to the core and are a good source of patronage jobs and opportunities to reward friends.  Sounds to me like an angry guy who did not get his way....pay him the 400K or whatever it is and he will go away...JMO.

[I_M4_AU 7,801]

Is this blackmail or coercion?  Him being a lawyer, I guess he is skirting a fine line here.

[AURex 1,994]

Having been part of the administration of two different institutions, I can affirm that this kind of stuff can crop up and corrupt an administration internally rather easily. In the first institution, the president, who I reported directly to, worked relentlessly to try to undermine the very large endowment of the library, wanting to redirect funds to his pet priorities. Unable to do that with his army of lawyers, he conspired with the CFO to pilfer funds from the library's operating budget.

In the second institution, the Vice Provost was taking kickbacks from contractors and vendors and was using university funds to travel to places like China and Brazil for vacations. He was finally caught and after my departure, he was actually arrested for his illegal antics. The president was fired for his complicity in schemes involving shuffling funding from research grants into other projects that he wanted to launch. He also got caught perverting the contracting of work on his presidential home -- and actually had city police driving his kids to and from school.

It seems too common that ethics get pushed aside when egos and power converge. Of course, we see the same in business and in politics as well.

 

[AU64 10,122]

9 minutes ago, AURex said:

Having been part of the administration of two different institutions, I can affirm that this kind of stuff can crop up and corrupt an administration internally rather easily. In the first institution, the president, who I reported directly to, worked relentlessly to try to undermine the very large endowment of the library, wanting to redirect funds to his pet priorities. Unable to do that with his army of lawyers, he conspired with the CFO to pilfer funds from the library's operating budget.

In the second institution, the Vice Provost was taking kickbacks from contractors and vendors and was using university funds to travel to places like China and Brazil for vacations. He was finally caught and after my departure, he was actually arrested for his illegal antics. The president was fired for his complicity in schemes involving shuffling funding from research grants into other projects that he wanted to launch. He also got caught perverting the contracting of work on his presidential home -- and actually had city police driving his kids to and from school.

It seems too common that ethics get pushed aside when egos and power converge. Of course, we see the same in business and in politics as well.

 

Yep..in NC the university trustees or someone created a nearly $200K job at NC State for the new governor's wife  a number of years ago.    Misusing public money really galls me because about every one of the culprits would tell you they work for the schools or government in order to engage in "public service".

The guy at UF was doing a public service in some ways but I give him no credit for altruism.  If he had been paid his fee, nobody would have heard a word from him. .

[alexava 6,973]

At what point does it become blackmail?

[AU64 10,122]

2 minutes ago, alexava said:

At what point does it become blackmail?

good point...but he's been pretty public about this....and I think blackmail is private or secretive....but sure sounds like some kind of extortion...which might not be the same thing?     Either way...seems he's not more ethical than some of the folks he's blackmailing or extorting.  

Meanwhile...JMO but schools are in a difficult position with regard to student misconduct of the type mentioned above....between what violates school rules versus what actions actually violate the law.