Lawsuit alleges Auburn changed grade of former football player in 2019

[triangletiger 1,599]

Article from al.com.  Is this guy just trying to get paid or is this a legitimate concern?

A lawsuit filed on behalf of a former Auburn employee last week alleges that a former Auburn football player had a grade changed during the Fall 2019 semester that allowed him to remain eligible for the team’s appearance in the Outback Bowl that season.

The claim is part of a discrimination lawsuit filed in district court last week on behalf of Travis Thomas Sr., a former director of academic support services in Auburn’s athletics department who was fired March 1.

According to the lawsuit, Auburn “caused, or allowed to be caused, significant pressure to be placed on” a university professor to change a failing grade of D to a passing grade of C for a player identified as an Auburn football graduate transfer from Arizona State. Former Auburn tight end-/H-back Jay Jay Wilson is the only player from the 2019 team who fits that description.

The player “neglected his studies, resulting in receiving bad grades,” according to the filing which did not name him because of FERPA laws, which also claims that the entire coaching staff and members of Auburn’s staff of academic counselors — which Thomas was a part of — were aware of the player’s struggles that semester. Auburn’s football team allegedly needed the grade changed to a passing mark in order for Wilson to be eligible in the Outback Bowl against Minnesota that season. The complaint also alleges that the grade change allowed the program to remain eligible to add graduate transfers to its roster the following offseason.

“Mr. Thomas’s complaint does not include facts to support his allegations of discrimination, and Auburn will not further discuss the details of this personnel matter,” Auburn said in a statement released to AL.com on Monday afternoon. “However, Auburn is compelled to clarify that Mr. Thomas’s complaint includes egregious mischaracterizations regarding the academic record of a student athlete who was under his mentorship. Prior to filing this lawsuit, Auburn informed Mr. Thomas that this information was inaccurate. His decision to make false and damaging statements about a student for his personal benefit cannot be ignored. Auburn will use all available legal resources to protect our students and to defend the University against the allegations in the complaint.”

On Dec. 23, 2019 — a little more than one week before the bowl game — the professor of that course sent an email refusing to change Wilson’s grade. Between the time that email was sent and the New Year’s Day bowl game, however, “said professor was caused to change her mind, or simply changed her mind, and accordingly changed the grade,” which allowed Wilson to play in the Outback Bowl and allegedly permitted Auburn to add graduate transfers to its 2020 roster.

Wilson had two receptions for 12 yards in Auburn’s Outback Bowl loss to Minnesota. The program also added a trio of graduate transfers in the offseason in Brandon Council, an offensive lineman from Akron; Grant Loy, a quarterback from Bowling Green; and Caylin Newton, a former Howard quarterback who joined Auburn as a preferred walk-on wide receiver.

Thomas was aware of the “suspicious” grade change for more than a year, according to the complaint, as were his three white female supervisors — senior associate athletics director Dr. Kathryn Flynn, associate AD Cathie Helmbold and associate AD Courtney Gage. It also alleges that they knew Thomas — identified as an African American male — was aware of the situation, which he claims is one of the reasons his “three white female supervisors wanted him out of the Academic division of the Auburn University Athletic Department.”

Thomas said he felt threatened by Auburn athletics director of compliance Rich McGlynn during a meeting earlier this year on Jan. 28, when McGlynn said Thomas should have reported the alleged grade change as a possible NCAA infraction, even if he didn’t know an actual violation occurred. According to the filing, “McGlynn also threatened that, because Auburn’s rules require employees to report anything that might be a ‘potential violation’, (Thomas) could be subject to termination for failure to do so.”

Thomas reportedly responded to McGlynn by saying that he would “only be speculating” to believe there was a potential violation, and that such “speculation” was not the same as a potential violation. Thomas also claims in the lawsuit that during a certification meeting a year earlier, in January 2020, he brought the matter up to the leadership team, compliance office, a faculty representative and the registrar’s office, “so everyone knew about what was going on an entire year earlier. Thus, no one could correctly say Mr. Thomas was hiding information.”

Thomas claims in the filing that during that meeting he brought up that Wilson should have been ineligible for the bowl game and for the spring 2020 semester because he did not receive at least a C in two of his three courses. He raised concerns about the matter but was allegedly informed “you know his grade got changed” by others at the meeting, adding that when he brought up the subject, “it was laughed off by people present, as if no big deal.”

Thomas claims he never received any information on the grade change until that day, though the change itself came a couple of days after the original Dec. 23, 2019 email from the professor, Kathryn Nelson, in which she said she would not change the grade. The grade change, the lawsuit states, broke Auburn’s normal operating procedures, as the filing claims that any grade change was typically forwarded to Thomas the day of the change — at the very latest — and not weeks after the fact.

The filing claims that Thomas’ knowledge of the alleged ordeal was one reason why his three supervisors wanted him fired or pressured to leave his position in the department. The lawsuit also alleges that none of Thomas’ supervisors, who were all reportedly aware of the “apparently pressured” grade change, were “ever threatened about their knowledge, nor were they ever threatened with termination, despite their failure to report it to Auburn University itself, just as Auburn has been accusing the Plaintiff of doing in its notice of termination.” It goes on to state that the “more gentle and respectful” manner in which his three supervisors were treated by the university, “as compared to the more antagonistic and disrespectful way” Thomas was blamed constituted race and sex discrimination against him.

Thomas alleges that the “pervasively cold and hostile” way he was treated became so severe that it became clear that Auburn’s athletics department, including his three supervisors, were trying to make him quit. Before Thomas had the chance to resign, though, he was served a notice of prospective termination on Feb. 24, subject to review March 1. That day, Thomas was notified of his firing.

[BigBlueWDE 1,136]

Well, you can expect that to run on al.com all week, lead off Sportcenter this week, have a feature on SEC Now, probably a 30for30 episode, and be on The Lead ticker for the entire month of March.  Don't be surprised if HBO signs on for exclusive rights too. 

[AUGoo 2,659]

Why?

Dont see that happening:

Gus gave less than two fecal deposits about any bowl game.

[Zeek 16,649]

35 minutes ago, BigBlueWDE said:

Well, you can expect that to run on al.com all week, lead off Sportcenter this week, have a feature on SEC Now, probably a 30for30 episode, and be on The Lead ticker for the entire month of March.  Don't be surprised if HBO signs on for exclusive rights too. 

Yup the REC dropped this to distract from their Propst drama.

[AU9377 4,926]

He is clearly a disgruntled former employee.

[Hank2020 3,199]

4 minutes ago, AU9377 said:

He is clearly a disgruntled former employee.

He clearly is, as are most “fired employees “. Not sure if that adds or takes away credence to his story.

 

[slyinsocal 831]

How does someone have "3 supervisors"? Would that be an example of a bloated bureaucracy?

[autiger88 3,777]

This is interesting that this dropped so suddenly and a year and a half later🤔🙃 me thinks something smells like elephant dung🙄

[aubcali 433]

11 minutes ago, slyinsocal said:

How does someone have "3 supervisors"? Would that be an example of a bloated bureaucracy?

I don’t know.  I say we set up an exploratory team of supervisors to research the question.  They can set up zoom meetings with you 3-5 pm Mondays and Wednesdays also 11am-2pm Tuesdays and Saturdays.  Your team can submit a report on the impacts of 3 supervisors on efficiencies of workplace productivity to a second team of supervisors who report to the director of a third team of executive supervisors.  The executive team will then report the findings to a board of directors who will set up a committee to implement strategies recommendations based on the findings.  The committee will then assign your group to 3 supervisors who will oversee your team’s execution of improving organizational capability.

[WFE12 9,191]

All for that guy...in the outback bowl? Cmon man be foreal.

[JDUBB4AU 5,112]

Man what a mess , anyways . Who gives a s*** about the outback bowl or the blooming whatever . 

[tigerman1186 537]

Any state employee is required to report any irregularities to their supervisor...it is not the employee to decide what is and what isn't a violation....

[jAUSon 2,836]

Self-imposed death penalty time.

[triangletiger 1,599]

2 hours ago, Zeek said:

Yup the REC dropped this to distract from their Propst drama.

That thought occurred to me as well.

[slyinsocal 831]

4 hours ago, triangletiger said:

The complaint also alleges that the grade change allowed the program to remain eligible to add graduate transfers to its roster the following offseason.

Subpar grades from a currently enrolled transfer can jeopardize that school's ability to accept future transfers? Does that rule or provision even exist?

 

[tigerchris 243]

To call out a players name for this based on “fits the description” is wrong.  

[GwillMac6 20,670]

Lol STFU and sit your butt down athens and tuscaloosa. Got dang I hate those little bitches.

[chizhead 618]

Read the article. The lawsuit is exposed for what it is. Rich McGlynn involved? No way there is merit to it. Pretty obvious whats going on

[AUinfusion 390]

I’m 51 years old and this is so typical as to be banal. The old joke used to be “Every time Alabama gets caught cheating, Auburn goes on probation “. Hopefully in an age if ubiquitous information this tactic will become obvious.

[AUGunsmith 666]

This is nothing new. Its a continuation of the issues the university has faced with the business admin,aka bull**** athlete major, in the last few years. 

It also was part if the company tension with the econ dept and current suits going in there. 

This isn't an auburn specific issue though. 

 

[Quietmaninthecorner 1,945]

16 minutes ago, AUinfusion said:

  The old joke used to be “Every time Alabama gets caught cheating, Auburn goes on probation “.  

  That is not a joke.    

[EastAl_Tiger 225]

16 hours ago, aubcali said:

I don’t know.  I say we set up an exploratory team of supervisors to research the question.  They can set up zoom meetings with you 3-5 pm Mondays and Wednesdays also 11am-2pm Tuesdays and Saturdays.  Your team can submit a report on the impacts of 3 supervisors on efficiencies of workplace productivity to a second team of supervisors who report to the director of a third team of executive supervisors.  The executive team will then report the findings to a board of directors who will set up a committee to implement strategies recommendations based on the findings.  The committee will then assign your group to 3 supervisors who will oversee your team’s execution of improving organizational capability.

You think that's a joke but my daughter worked in one of those "make work" phony baloney feel good departments as a grad student for a year and that's a good summation of what she says goes on there. 

[casatiger 513]

4 hours ago, chizhead said:

Read the article. The lawsuit is exposed for what it is. Rich McGlynn involved? No way there is merit to it. Pretty obvious whats going on

They will provide him with a nice settlement and this will all go away.  This will be around long enough for old Propst to grab some salad and take a walk up some stairs or at least have it recommended that he not make a salad otherwise he might find himself walking up some stairs. 

[NoALtiger 3,850]

17 hours ago, aubcali said:

I don’t know.  I say we set up an exploratory team of supervisors to research the question.  They can set up zoom meetings with you 3-5 pm Mondays and Wednesdays also 11am-2pm Tuesdays and Saturdays.  Your team can submit a report on the impacts of 3 supervisors on efficiencies of workplace productivity to a second team of supervisors who report to the director of a third team of executive supervisors.  The executive team will then report the findings to a board of directors who will set up a committee to implement strategies recommendations based on the findings.  The committee will then assign your group to 3 supervisors who will oversee your team’s execution of improving organizational capability.

[AUApostle 7,651]

He was fired 8 days ago, of course this is coming out now...doesn't seem like its related to Propst.  Unless he was fired March 1 of 2020?  And that dude's story is all over the place.  Why do you make conditions so bad for an employee to make them want to quit if that employee has dirt on you?