The KU Chancellor

University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little has been a player in the current recruiting and ticket imbroglio. If there is fire amidst all this smoke, she is set up to be fried like an egg. She's not the weakest link in the chain -- she's not even in the top five -- but she appears to be the weakest link who is not currently under a federal indictment. That's not to say that Gray-Little is susceptible to indictment, as she clearly is not, only that the weaker links are already being fried.

First, some backstory. Former KU Director of Sports Medicine William Dent publicly alleged that a business known as Medical Outfitters was awarded under-the-table center-court basketball tickets in exchange for the loan of exercise equipment to KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins. Dent also alleged that three current and former basketball players were ineligible, and that there were violations of the university drug policy within the athletic department. Lew Perkins, through his attorney, claimed that he was being blackmailed by Dent, something along the lines of, "pay me some money or I'll go public with the ticket scam, the ineligible athletes and the drug policy violations." Dent has claimed that he was just seeking payment for storage of the equipment, which he has stored at his own expense.

When the matter came to the attention of the KU Chancellor, she issued a "KU News Release." It starts with the most interesting bit of doublespeak seen in years:

"Although originating from a questionable source, several allegations
were raised in the media this weekend about Kansas Athletics. I urge
that there not be a rush to judgment in the absence of facts that support the allegations." (emphasis added).

As you can see in the emphasized portions of the quote from the News Release, the Chancellor asked that there not be a "rush to judment" one sentence after she called William Dent a "questionable source." Apparently, Chancellor Gray-Little was concerned about a rush to judgment regarding Kansas, but not a rush to judgment involving the ex-Kansas University employee.

In that same official News Release, the Chancellor wrote: "I have appointed senior members of the university staff to work with Kansas Athletics to fully review and bring closure to the allegations that have been made. I have requested that the review be completed within 10 working days." Only five working days after it was announced, the KU internal investigation concluded, finding “no evidence” to substantiate William Dent’s claims of drug policy abuse, ineligible players and a tickets-for-exercise-equipment scam.

In a follow-up "KU News Release," the University of Kansas Chancellor stated that "[t]he review found no evidence of an exchange of exercise equipment for preferential seating, no evidence of drug-testing irregularites and no evidence of ineligible student-athletes." The Chancellor again hinted at the malevolence of William Dent in this News Release, saying that "we may question the motivations of the source...."

On June 23, 2010, the Lawrence Journal-World found evidence to support William Dent's claims of a tickets-for-exercise-equipment scam. The LJW reported: "According to documents obtained by the Journal-World through a Kansas Open Records request, an executive of Medical Outfitters went from having four seats on the 24th row of an upper-level corner section in Allen Fieldhouse to having four seats on the seventh row of a mid-level section along the west side of the court."

Since that newspaper article, the Chancellor has not acknowledged the changed circumstances. She has not publicly re-opened the KU internal investigation (even to allow it to go another 5 business days), and she's not publicly forwarded the allegations to the NCAA. Now that Dent's allegations have some substance -- at least as to the tickets-for-exercise-equipment charges -- the Chancellor should feel compelled to re-inquire. If only to get herself off the frier and wipe the egg off her face.

PRESS PACKET

The Lawrence Project has put together a complimentary Press Packet for members of the media who are planning on interviewing KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, any of her spokesmen, or the two individuals who conducted the university's internal investigation of Dent's allegations, Vice Provost Mary Lee Hummert and Human Resources Program Director Allen Humphrey. The packet includes sample questions to use, as well as a Red (and Blue) Badge of Courage for the intrepid reporter who uses them.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:.

-- Have you already forwarded the Dent allegations to the NCAA?

-- When do you plan to forward the Dent allegations to the NCAA?

-- In your initial News Release, you indicate that KU would conduct an internal investigation, but you basically started your News Release calling Mr. Dent a "questionable source." Was that not a rush to judgment on your part?

-- In fact, in the very next sentence after you call William Dent a "quesitonable source," you ask everyone not to rush to judgment against the University of Kansas. Don't you think that the same standard should be applied to both the accuser and the accused?

-- As for "questionable sources," did you feel that anyone in the KU Athletic Department might be a "questionable source," given the fact that five (5) of them have been investigated by the IRS and FBI and two of them have already pled guilty to ticket scamming and are cooperating with authorities?

-- Were you satisfied with the University of Kansas' internal investigation of William Dent's allegations?

-- Did your investigators only question Dent once about the allegations involving ineligible athletes and drug policy violations, and, when he wouldn't talk to them about that, give up?

-- Did your investigators look at all into allegations that former KU player Darrell Arthur was ineligible to play basketball at Kansas?

-- Did the findings and reporting made public by the LJW on June 23, 2010 change your mind about the allegations in any respect?

-- Did your two investigators have time enough to do a thorough investigation of all three allegations in only five (5) business days?

-- Exactly who did they interview and what documents and other media did they review to get to the bottom of the tickets-for-exercise-equipment charge?

-- Exactly who did they interview and what documents and other media did they review to get to the bottom of the ineligible players charge?

-- Exactly who did they interview and what documents and other media did they review to get to the bottom of the university drug policy violations charge?

-- Are you concerned that, by not forwarding the charges to the NCAA, the NCAA might look at that inaction as part of a "lack of institutional control" charge?

-- Are you concerned that the NCAA might consider the KU internal investigation more of an attempt to hide the truth than seek it out?

Cartoon

FAQS

Are you saying that the University of Kansas is guilty of playing ineligible basketball players and violating the university's own drug policy? No. That is not what we're saying. We are saying that there are credible allegations of both, but after eight weeks, there still hasn't been an NCAA investigation of either.

What makes the allegations so "credible," to use the word that you used? First of all, thanks for the question. Secondly, the allegations came from the former Director of Sports Medicine for the University of Kansas. He would have access to information about the basketball program that others might not. Thirdly, the accuser also claimed that the KU Athletic Director provided an upgrade for tickets in exchange for free exercise equipment, and that allegation is looking better and better every day. Fourthly, the KU Athletic Director and the Lawrence Police have agreed not to press charges against the accuser. Fifthly, why would William Dent try to blackmail someone based on untrue claims? It is possible, but is it likely? Sixthly, there has been an internet rumor from way back that Kansas player Darrell Arthur was not eligible to play college basketball. None of this evidence is proof that the allegations are true, but they are proof that the allegations are credible and deserving of investigation.

If I wrote to Lindsay Lohan in jail, she'd probably read my letter out of sheer boredom, huh? Sir, I think you've found the wrong blog.

What if the NCAA is already investigating Kansas basketball based on these very same allegations? That would be great! However, there's been no announcement of an investigation by the NCAA, and no acknowledgement from the University of Kansas that they've forwarded the allegations on to the NCAA. Quite the contrary, the KU Chancellor conducted an internal investigation of the allegations and concluded that there was "no evidence" to substantiate the claims. Yet, a couple of weeks later, a local newspaper, after obtaining documents from KU through the Kansas Open Records Act, established that William Dent's claims were prima facie true with respect to his ticket allegations. Also of significance, what kind of deterrent effect can the NCAA possibly achieve by not publicly announcing an investigation after allegations such as these? We want the NCAA to get on their horse and clean up college basketball.

How can I help? You can join us, provide input to help refine our ideas, techniques and strategies, sign an on-line petition to the NCAA, comment on the Scout basketball messageboards where THE LAWRENCE PROJECT is discussed, bring the debate to other messageboards (you may copy and paste everything on this site without attribution), and buy a THE LAWRENCE PROJECT t-shirt. (Actually, there are no t-shirts, we are a non-profit organization).

Isn't this a big waste of your time? It is time better spent than bellyaching on a college sports messageboard about how the NCAA doesn't do jack. This is something that has never -- to our knowledge -- been tried before. If nothing else, THE LAWRENCE PROJECT hopes to foster discussion about college basketball recruiting and the NCAA's role in it.

Isn't the NCAA a private organization that can do as it pleases? Yes, it is and can. However, we have a right to free expression, and we can use our rights to call on the NCAA to meet its obligations. Moreover, like any other business, the NCAA is sensitive to public opinion. They need to know that we no longer tolerate cheaters, and we expect the NCAA to handle matters like this in a professional and timely manner.

What gives with the Calvin & Hobbes cartoons? They are not Calvin & Hobbes cartoons. Rather, they are satirically making fun of the child-like dreams of Calvin in contrast to the alleged real-world problems of Kansas basketball. Nobody profits from these cartoons, and although 99.99% of the artwork is from the cartoonist himself, the words have been changed without his knowledge. We do the same thing with the Cathy comicstrip, but in that case, the satire is that Cathy comics are not funny. Bill Watterson is the genius creator of Calvin & Hobbes. Cathy Guisewite is the creator of Cathy.

Why hasn't the NCAA announced an investigation of the allegations made by William Dent? We don't know.

What is the meaning of life? According the American Heritage Dictionary, life means "[t]he property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism. b. The characteristic state or condition of a living organism." So, actually, there are two meanings of life.

MISSION STATEMENT

THE LAWRENCE PROJECT is a not-for-profit organization seeking justice through the National Collegiate Athletic Association. In this particular case, the Project is asking the NCAA to announce an investigation into allegations that the University of Kansas has three (3) current and former players associated with their basketball team who were academically ineligible, as well as allegations of violations of the university drug policy. We believe that the allegations are serious enough to merit an investigation by the NCAA -- an investigation that has not been announced eight (8) weeks after the allegations first surfaced.

TIMELINE

APRIL 2003 -- Bill Self hired as head coach of the University of Kansas basketball team.

JUNE 2003 -- Lew Perkins hired as Athletic Director for KU.

NOVEMBER 2007 -- William Dent resigns as Director of Sports Medicine for the University of Kansas Athletic Department.

APRIL 24, 2009 -- William Dent is sending copies of the correspondence he is having with KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins about exercise equipment to reporters at the Topeka Capital-Journal. (This is a year before he is supposedly blackmailing Perkins. Look at the date again.).

APRIL 2010 -- KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins reports that William Dent, former Director of Sports Medicine for KU, is blackmailing him about Perkins' use of thousands of dollars of exercise equipment, as well as regarding ineligible athletes on the KU basketball team and violations of the university drug policy.

APRIL 2010 -- KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins pays $5,000.00 to one of the supposed former owners of the exercise equipment.

MAY 30, 2010 -- The Perkins/Dent scandal breaks in the Topeka Capital-Journal, and the story, in one shape or another, including the allegations of ineligible basketball players and drug policy violations, gets reported by ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, the Associated Press, local and regional newspapers and major TV affilates around the country.

JUNE 2, 2010 -- KU Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little tells the Kansas City Star that the university is initiating an investigation into the allegations made by William Dent, and that the matter would be fully reviewed in 10 working days.

JUNE 9, 2010 -- Only five working days after it is announced, the KU internal investigation concludes finding “no evidence” to substantiate William Dent’s claims of drug policy abuse, ineligible players and a tickets-for-exercise-equipment scam.

JUNE 10, 2010 -- KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins announces he will retire in approximately one year and three months.

JUNE 23, 2010 -- The Lawrence Journal-World reports that there is proof of William Dent allegations regarding the alleged tickets-for-exercise-equipment scam: “According to documents obtained by the Journal-World through a Kansas Open Records request, an executive of Medical Outfitters went from having four seats on the 24th row of an upper-level corner section in Allen Fieldhouse to having four seats on the seventh row of a mid-level section along the west side of the court.”

JULY 13, 2010 -- KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins indicates that he will not press charges against William Dent for blackmail. The local police follow suit.

ONGOING -- Kansas State Ethics Commission inquiry into whether KU Athletic Director Lew Perkins violated Kansas state law in taking the loan of free exercise equipment.

ONGOING -- Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS probes into University of Kansas Ticket Scandal.

NOT ONGOING -- NCAA investigation into whether there were and are ineligible players on the Kansas basketball team and whether the team violated university drug policies.

This is another cartoon

The second post should also be a cartoon, I think.

The inaugural post should be a cartoon, no?