Baylor used "Mole"

[Harry]

WACO, TEXAS: Baylor University infiltrated sexual assault survivor groups to shape PR strategy and talking points on how to handle the groups and student demonstrations, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

A Title IX lawsuit, filed by 10 unnamed former students, has alleged Baylor downplayed sexual assaults at the university. Some of the Jane Does say they were assaulted as far back as 2004, according to court documents.

The issue came to light in August 2015, when former Baylor football player Sam Ukwuachu was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to 180 days in county jail. Ukwuachu is appealing his conviction.

Other former Baylor football players have been accused of sexual assault. In 2014, former linebacker Tevin Elliott was convicted and sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison on two counts of sexual assault. Former defensive end Shawn Oakman is awaiting trial.

In the same month that Ukwuachu was convicted, Baylor’s office of general counsel retained Ketchum for comms support, according to Jason Cook, Baylor’s VP for marketing and comms and CMO.

James Peters, former partner and director of Ketchum South, served as the account lead. A Ketchum representative declined to make Peters available for comment.

read more:  https://www.prweek.com/article/1491030/sources-baylor-used-mole-aid-comms-during-sexual-assault-crisis

[outoftown]

Although I am sure the students in question feel betrayed, the way it is described, I am not sure I would describe that person necessarily as a mole.

However, when you do what Baylor did in terms of cover-up, you cannot expect coverage to give you any benefit of the doubt on corollaries such as this.

Edited August 28, 2018 by outoftown

[Cerebus]

19 minutes ago, outoftown said:

Although I am sure the students in question feel betrayed, the way it is described, I am not sure I would describe that person necessarily as a mole.

uh...

Quote

When these groups organized on campus to comfort each other and demand action from  former chancellor Kenneth Starr, "[Burchett] would coordinate with them, befriend them, and pretend he was helping them organize vigils and demonstrations [about] sexual assault," the source added.

Burchett would pass on what he learned to school officials, the communications department, and Ketchum, the source added. In an email described to PRWeek, Kevin Jackson, VP of student life and Burchett’s supervisor, said the director of student activities was "adept at this kind of thing."

and...

Quote

mole
noun
Definition of mole
1 : any of numerous burrowing insectivores (especially family Talpidae) with tiny eyes, concealed ears, and soft fur
2 : one who works in the dark
3 : a machine for tunneling
4 : a spy (such as a double agent) who establishes a cover long before beginning espionage; broadly : one within an organization who passes on information

[outoftown]

42 minutes ago, Cerebus said:

 

 

I don't know... to me that cover part isn't particularly well justified... I am sure they feel betrayed because he at times acted as if he only had their interests at heart and that is disengenous, I get that. But then again he had a university job, and the students knew he was being paid by the university, that part was no secret.

But like I said, you have been proven to have done so many ugly other things to cover up, you can't really complain when you don't get the benefit of the doubt.

Edited August 28, 2018 by outoftown

[UNTLifer]

Death Penalty.

[KRAM1]

It just keeps getting better and better for Baylor, doesn't it???? Geeezzzzz Louise.  This should become a university course segment on HOW NOT to do things!

[untjim1995]

I just don't get it. The NCAA has their next prime example to make for everyone to see what they can do. Baylor is a pissant in the big scheme of things, just like SMU was. A smaller private school that won't cause one ripple of angst among the college football establishment if they are gone. This isn't Penn State or Miami or FSU or USC or Oklahoma or Alabama. Those places are the ones that sadly get away with all kinds of things because of who they are and the money they bring in--Baylor never has been nor ever will be one of them. When the Big XII dies off, absolutely no one will want nor take Baylor at the Power Level. The NCAA cannot possibly have a bigger  piñata to absolutely crush and have nothing to worry about than they have with Baylor right now. 

If the NCAA doesn't give them the Death Penalty, then we do know for sure that SMU will always be the last program with any name recognition to ever get that nuke dropped on them.

[KRAM1]

While the death penalty may well be most justified in Baylor’s case, I seriously doubt a school will ever again be given the death penalty. Why? Because of the way SMU was “killed” for years after they were reinstated.  I think the NCAA does not have the guts to do that to any school ever again. As an example...I give you Penn State. May not be right, but I just don’t think the NCAA has it in them to actually hand down another death penalty.

They have seen what it does to a school...not only on the field, but in enrollment numbers and donation dollars.

Sad, but I think Baylor avoids the so-called death penalty. Why so-called? Well, SMUt lives, right? They should re-name it the “time out” penalty.

[GreenN'walinsVet]

At this point you can’t even parallel Baylor and Penn State from an NCAA perspective. 

What happened at Penn State was morally wrong 10 times over, but the impact on the field was very minimal. 

Baylor on the other hand impacted their on the field product immensely. To me that is why the NCAA should punish them much worse than Penn State and the Death Penelty might be the only option left considering how much they covered up the scandals to keep the players on the field. 

[untjim1995]

1 hour ago, GreenN'walinsVet said:

At this point you can’t even parallel Baylor and Penn State from an NCAA perspective. 

What happened at Penn State was morally wrong 10 times over, but the impact on the field was very minimal. 

Baylor on the other hand impacted their on the field product immensely. To me that is why the NCAA should punish them much worse than Penn State and the Death Penelty might be the only option left considering how much they covered up the scandals to keep the players on the field. 

Look, I get that Penn State’s crimes were horrendously bad. And they should have gotten the full penalties levied against them from the start, not the watered down ones they ended up getting after 1 year.

But Penn State games bring in millions of dollars and they are a name program for college football’s hierarchy. Baylor is none of this. Never have been, never will be. They can’t be—a small, private college in Waco, Texas is all they are looked at as being by the college football world. I still believe the NCAA will just crush them to the ground, even if it’s not the death penalty. It’ll be akin to it, for sure, since they will probably never have a program to compete at the Power Level again within 7-8 years...

[UNTLifer]

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

Look, I get that Penn State’s crimes were horrendously bad. And they should have gotten the full penalties levied against them from the start, not the watered down ones they ended up getting after 1 year.

But Penn State games bring in millions of dollars and they are a name program for college football’s hierarchy. Baylor is none of this. Never have been, never will be. They can’t be—a small, private college in Waco, Texas is all they are looked at as being by the college football world. I still believe the NCAA will just crush them to the ground, even if it’s not the death penalty. It’ll be akin to it, for sure, since they will probably never have a program to compete at the Power Level again within 7-8 years...

Sadly, I agree, and this is what is wrong with the NCAA.  I don't give two turds about a program's economic impact.  That should never give them favor in instances of this nature.