A Razorback Affair - Part 3

It turns out that one of my initial comments in Part 1 was correct: Jessica Dorell was hired simply because of her inappropriate relationship with Bobby Petrino, and not because she was more qualified than any of the other applicants.

It turns out that she was hired over 158 other applicants.

Long also discovered that the job search -- which included two other finalists -- was "shorter than our normal affirmative action hiring process." In other words, Petrino used a truncated search to hire his mistress to a job for which she may not have been the most qualified applicant.

Had Arkansas kept Petrino, it would have turned the other 158 applicants into plaintiffs. Attorneys would have descended on Fayetteville screaming Sue Pig Woooooie!

Those people would have made easy money, too. Some of the millions in donations Petrino brought in by winning might have turned into settlement funds. In the future, university employees would have faced difficulty firing anyone over an inappropriate office relationship. The fired party could simply hire an attorney, who would, in much more polished legalese, say something to the tune of, "But you kept Bobby Petrino."

"By itself, coach Petrino's consensual relationship with Ms. Dorrell prior to her joining the football staff was not against university policy," Long said. "By itself, it's a matter between individuals and their families. However, in this case, coach Petrino abused his authority when over the past few weeks, he made a staff decision and personal choices that benefitted himself and jeopardized the integrity of the football program.

It turns out (as noted in Part 2) that Bobby Petrino gave her $20,000 before she was hired.

$20,000: The amount Petrino paid to Dorrell in cash before he hired her.

It turns out that Bobby Petrino burned the Razorbacks athletic department like he burned his former bosses.

[Arkansas athletic director Jeff] Long ... did hire Petrino in the first place. He knew Petrino hadn't been up front with his bosses at Louisville and with the Atlanta Falcons. Long shouldn't have been surprised when a man with a history of lying to his bosses lied to his boss.

It turns out that Bobby Petrino is no longer employed by the University of Arkansas.

And hopefully it will turn out that Ms. Dorell will not be employed by the University of Arkansas, either.

And hopefully Ms. Dorell's fiance (the swimming and diving coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks) will get smart and leave her. Though it would be quite fun (though of course inappropriate) to hear her excuses and apologies to him, her friends, and her family.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/andy_staples/04/11/bobby.petrino.arkansas.fired/index.html?xid=siextra_041112