Bobby Knight's latest scandal

IronMan4 · March 13, 2003

Just when he won everyone's hearts by giving back his salary, his true colors come through again.

DMN Link on Knight giving out confidential information

IronMan4 · March 13, 2003

And he kicked in a flat screen TV at halftime of a game last week. If he wanted to prove a point and get rid of it, he could've just sent it to me instead of breaking it.

OldTimer · March 13, 2003

Here's the article

Knight admits to leaking information

However, coach speaks out, regrets that it became public

03/13/2003

By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News

Texas Tech coach Bob Knight said Wednesday he was the one who gave confidential information about former men's basketball player Nick Valdez to "people who needed to know" and expressed regret that it leaked into a public forum, possibly exposing Tech to violations of federal law.

Speaking at a news conference at American Airlines Center, Knight addressed a myriad of issues, including the Valdez situation, in his own classic style.

"I'm not surprised at all that he would tell the truth," Tech interim president Dr. Donald Haragan said.

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Knight did not specify how many people he told or if those people were outside of the Tech athletic department. But the information was distributed March 4 at a Lubbock business leaders meeting where approximately 20 people attended, Tech officials said.

A two-page document outlined Valdez's absences from team functions and other disciplinary incidents unrelated to men's basketball.

Student academic records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or what's known as the Buckley Amendment. Tech vice chancellor and general counsel Pat Campbell said no grade information was present in the documents.

Knight began the session by challenging the accuracy of a Morning News report saying he kicked in a TV screen during halftime of a Feb. 5 game. Assistant coach Pat Knight, Bob's son, then walked in front of the assembled media, held up a broken clipboard and said "Maybe you guys [the media] can get about 1,000 words out of this."

The Feb. 5 episode ended up in a campus police report after a campus officer working security at United Spirit Arena overheard a conversation between two graduate assistant coaches, Tom Geyer and Michael Lewis. They discussed seeing Knight kick the screen in during halftime.

Knight said the story was full of errors. He had no other comment on that story.

Next, Knight gave the media a condensed version of chronological events leading up to the one-game suspension of Valdez and teammate Andre Emmett on Feb. 17 against Texas. Knight said he compiled a list of things Valdez did during his senior season. He would not discuss what was on the list when Valdez quit Feb. 21.

"I gave a list of that or discussed it with people that needed to know," Knight said.

"The thing got out some way. I'm not sure why or how that it did. That was certainly not our intent in that way. But I talked to a very good attorney who's extremely familiar with the Buckley [Amendment], and he said there is absolutely not one single thing that involves the Buckley [Amendment] in any way."

Haragan started a probe Tuesday to determine who leaked the information. Wells Fargo Bank president Gary Lawrence ran the meeting in question. He has not returned repeated messages left by The News.

Joe Valdez, Nick's father, said the family is discussing their options but would not comment.

Also Wednesday, Tech athletic director Gerald Myers echoed Dr. Haragan's earlier statement that the school regretted the information got out.

"We don't mean any harm or negative toward Nick," Myers said. "We wish him the best toward finishing up the school year.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's a closed issue."

Haragan said: "I had a long, long talk with Nick Valdez's mother, and she felt her son has already paid a price. Nick is the real loser in all of this, having his name dragged through the mud."

Skating past the Buckley Amendment may not be as simple as Tech administrators hope, though.

Campbell said it would take him several days to determine if the information falls under the amendment's broad umbrella. The documents are typewritten, but they are not on any official school form, Campbell said. A person could interpret that the document is part of a person's academic record.

"What I'm looking at right now looks like a fax of a fax of a fax," Campbell said. "You know how illegible they get after awhile? What I'm looking at right now I can't even read."

Austin lawyer Sherry Rasmus is well versed in the Buckley Amendment. She handled former Texas player Luke Axtell's privacy-violation case when a former UT men's basketball assistant coach faxed Axtell's grades to an Austin radio station.

As the Axtell case went through the court system from 1998-99, the Supreme Court altered the law. Rasmus said a student has virtually no recourse for a Buckley Amendment violation. Students still have some basic protections, but not many. The institution would lose federal funding if it was a repeat amendment violator.

"My advice to the student would be to finish out his school year and get on with your life," Rasmus said.

E-mail brdavis@dallasnews.com

CMJ · March 13, 2003

Gotta love Knight eh?

Buford_Julep · March 13, 2003

Typical Knight. Make sure everyone knows who to blame without mentioning why. Drag the guy's name through the mud without saying what he did.

We've seen this before with Jamaal Brown and those other guys. The Tech message board was full of rumors and what they might have done.

CMJ · March 13, 2003

Well at least Tech will only be in the NIT this year.

Texas Stranger · March 15, 2003

Would a better name for this thread/topic be " T T leaking " ?

shaneb · March 15, 2003

Well at least Tech will only be in the NIT this year.

Seen the scoreboard tonight?

Seeya,

Shane

IronMan4 · March 15, 2003

I think they might have dug themselves in a hole they cant get out of unless they get the automatic bid.

CMJ · March 15, 2003

I'm not sure, they may be able to get in just by making the finals. I don't feel they're in yet though...they definitely need one more win IMHO.

IronMan4 · March 15, 2003

According to cnnsi.com, here is the "Still Alive" group:

Alabama (17-11)

Arizona State (18-11)

Auburn (18-10)

Butler (25-5)

Gonzaga (23-8)

Indiana (19-11)

LSU (21-9)

N.C. State (17-11)

North Carolina (17-14)

Southern Illinois (24-6)

Tennessee (17-10)

Texas Tech (18-11)

UAB (19-11)

UNLV (20-9)

Why do I get the feeling that the comittee would favor a Bob Knight big 12 team over a Gonzaga, Butler, UAB, and SIU?

I hope I'm wrong though, but the last few years "mid-majors" have gotten the shaft, but there are people saying the comittee may feel like they owe Butler one after last year. Maybe that and the fact that Gonzaga has established itself and SIU made the sweet 16 last year will get them in. It will be interesting to see.

I know this is another can of worms, but how can the comittee say that Alabama or tt is better than a SIU or Butler when the BCS teams would never play them, and if they did it would be on thier home court.

We need to thank our lucky stars we get Indiana at home next year, not many schools in our situation get to host a high caliber team like that.

CMJ · March 15, 2003

Gonzaga is based on reputation, no doubts here. Southern Illinois and Butler will *probably* get in.

UNTLifer · March 15, 2003

We need to thank our lucky stars we get Indiana at home next year, not many schools in our situation get to host a high caliber team like that.

Thank goodness we already have the Super Pit and aren't waiting on the Denia HO's to approve this building. Seriously, the Super Pit is the best college venue in the Metroplex and should be a drawing card for us. Now we just need to fill it up on a consistent basis.