re: Ongoing Baylor controversy/discussion thread

I've been hesitant to get into this because we really don't know many facts. But just based on the summary report, I have serious doubt Briles will ever coach again at any level. As long as potential charges hang over him, he's unemployable.

Obstruction carries a high burden but witness tampering doesn't really. And a witness can be deemed a witness prior to charges filed. Coercing someone not to proceed, report, or otherwise come forward with evidence of a crime is witness tampering and extremely serious. If the criminal charge is a felony, the corresponding charge of tampering is a first degree felony.

From the PH summary report:

quote:

---

Pepper also found examples of actions by 2 University administrators that directly discouraged complainants from reporting or participating in student conduct processes, or that contributed to or accommodated a hostile environment. In one instance, those actions constituted retaliation against a complainant for reporting sexual assault.

---

quote:

---

Football staff conducted their own untrained internal inquiries, outside of policy, which improperly discredited complainants and denied them the right to a fair, impartial and informed investigation, interim measures or processes promised under University policy. In some cases, internal steps gave the illusion of responsiveness to complainants but failed to provide a meaningful institutional response under Title IX.

---

quote:

---

The choices made by football staff and athletics leadership, in some instances, posed a risk to campus safety and the integrity of the University. In certain instances, including reports of a sexual assault by multiple football players, athletics and football personnel affirmatively chose not to report sexual violence and dating violence to an appropriate administrator outside of athletics. In those instances, football coaches or staff met directly with a complainant and/or a parent of a complainant and did not report the misconduct. As a result, no action was taken to support complainants, fairly and impartially evaluate the conduct under Title IX, address identified cultural concerns within the football program, or protect campus safety once aware of a potential pattern of sexual violence by multiple football players.

---

The details here are still to come but this sounds like potential tampering. PH masked a bunch of it in Title IX responsibilities but these are potential crimes (and we can assume the retaliation is SU so has been deemed criminal in a court of law). It really depends on what was said/done and what was documented and what may come out in future criminal trials, lawsuits, and the all but certain Title IX investigation.

Until every bit of this is cleaned up - and that likely will take years - Briles is completely radioactive.

Even if some folks at Baylor 100% plan on one-year suspension, I don't think it's going to be possible because this will drag out forever and they'll eventually realize the best thing for them is to completely divorce themselves from this era.