Gibbons expelled for alleged sexual assault
Brendan Gibbons "permanently separated" from the University of Michigan for violating the University’s Student Sexual Misconduct Policy.
https://michigandaily.com/sports/former-kicker-brendan-gibbons-expelled…
January 28th, 2014 at 9:19 PM ^
January 28th, 2014 at 9:32 PM ^
January 28th, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^
for besmirching a student without specifiying the allegation, without providing one shred of evidence for the allegation, and doing so while maintaining a vail of mandatory quasi-secrecy.
January 28th, 2014 at 9:57 PM ^
January 28th, 2014 at 9:57 PM ^
January 28th, 2014 at 10:08 PM ^
comment just became a lot more creepy.
January 28th, 2014 at 10:14 PM ^
Or what information, beyond what is web available went into this decision.
I understand the standard of proof may have changed, but I looked into all that information thoroughly when that website put this all out there, and it just did not seem to go beyond he said, she said.
My initial reaction was skepticism because the author at that website played fast and loose with certain crucial details. It appears that perhaps I turned my attention in the wrong direction by focusing on the web author. That guy (Doug Smith) may or may not be a wanker, but, at least in the university's opinion, the alleged victim's version is more likely to be true than not true.
I also had a conversation during the preseason with someone I trust and who has more access (read: less than my zero) to the program than I do - it was his strong opinion that Gibbons had done what he was accused of. This colored my enthusiasm for the upcoming season - as the season started to unfold, enjoyment was irrelevant, anyway, so there it was.
But there wasn't anything solid to go on that suggested anything but competing claims. At best, there was Joe Reynolds support for the alleged victim's version, which seemed compromising, with him being a teammate and all. From all the material in the website, nothing suggested any proof regarding the results of the rape kit, for example, only that there were claims by the victim regarding the results of that rape examination. And one would think that Doug Smith wanted to present everything he had. But there must be more to the story than what is publicly available.
This is certainly a snowflake, but I'm deeply troubled that this guy was allowed to kick for a whole career here. There were rumblings all season that Gibbons and Lewan were terrible teammates and that this was part of the disintegration of the primary group that made the season so awful. I'd like to know how, at this late date, they were able to determine that a preponderance of evidence favored the alleged victim. And by "I'd like to know how," I mean that I wonder what evidence was out there, not that I doubt their ability to draw a conclusion. There's got to be more than what was in those publicly available documents. Apparently, there is. There still seems to be a lot about this story that we don't know, but this looks about as bad as it gets at present.
I'd also be interested to know what, if anything, Joe Reynolds will say about this, now that events have reached this point.
January 28th, 2014 at 10:33 PM ^
January 28th, 2014 at 10:53 PM ^
But but but they got free tats LOL.. Guess you can retire that one.
January 29th, 2014 at 9:38 AM ^
January 29th, 2014 at 12:00 PM ^
I never hired anyone. You however have a liar for a coach that recruits once looked up to for being honest. That's all gone now. And yep. Urban is 2-0 against Brady Liar
January 28th, 2014 at 11:31 PM ^
...the reality of this situation taking basically his entire collegiate career is either due to individually, or a combination of some sort of interference from the athletic department or a sickly obstructed bureaucracy.
Other than that, the only way I can see this making sense would be if additional developments in the criminal case were going to soon come to light and the University is making a ham-handed attempt to get out in front of it.
Regardless, this is just an awful situation for everyone involved.
January 28th, 2014 at 11:42 PM ^
the suggestion made there - that the woman, on learning that the standard of proof required had changed (in 2013), finally chose to press her accusations - does at least present a logical scenario.
If she waited until September 2013 to ask for university adjudication, then this would not be a case of delayed resolution.
January 29th, 2014 at 10:11 AM ^
my bad.
January 29th, 2014 at 8:16 AM ^
January 29th, 2014 at 12:35 AM ^
Yeah, UM wouldn't exercise its harshest internal punishment, one rarely used, without a hell of a lot of proof, especially against a student with a high profile like this. And it's not like they did it as a reaction to media pressure, it was in total secrecy.
The idea that they would have done this unless they were very satisfied with the evidence is ridiculous. This isn't Duke Lacrosse. We're looking at the aftermath here, not the beginning.
January 29th, 2014 at 8:36 AM ^
January 29th, 2014 at 8:17 AM ^
...not to weigh in on this topic on principle alone.
If Gibbons is guilty (arguably yet to be proven), then he should face the consequences to the full extent of the law -- including prison.
Hoke should face the scrutiny of the press on this, too. (What did he know and when did he know it?)
I personally know a lady now in her 50's who was raped at 18. She still carries the scars and the baggage from this event that occurred over 35 years ago.
January 29th, 2014 at 8:32 AM ^
This is not a defense if a Gibbons or the University. It is a defense of Hoke.
January 29th, 2014 at 1:24 PM ^
There is no statute of limitations for sexual assault in Michigan, so it's possible for the prosecutor to still bring charges against Gibbons.
January 29th, 2014 at 8:55 AM ^
January 29th, 2014 at 10:45 AM ^
January 29th, 2014 at 11:54 AM ^
January 29th, 2014 at 1:54 PM ^
The difference is the connatation that the phrase "dealing with a family issue in Florida" carries... which for most everyone invokes a feeling of sympathy for the affected person. He wasn't in Florida dealing with the death of a loved one (or some other unfortunate family event as Hoke implied)... he was expelled from school for being deemed a dangerous sexual predator. Whoever came up with that phrase as the official AD response should be fired.
January 29th, 2014 at 12:12 PM ^
Brandon told Hoke to say this, since he could not tell the real reason. I would blame Brandon before Hoke!
January 29th, 2014 at 1:57 PM ^
I didn't solely blame Hoke, look again as I clearly mention the public relations team of the athletic department. Knowing about the situation for weeks before officially commenting, I'm well aware Hoke didn't come up with his comment off the cuff.
January 29th, 2014 at 9:42 AM ^
I am not going to comment on Gibbons or Hoke or Brandon, but as a woman, I have to say that a lot of comments on this thread and on the post on the main board are very disturbing to me.
January 29th, 2014 at 10:45 AM ^
I want to know what comments specifically cause that reaction, ilah.. This community needs to hear every possible perspective in order to best understand how to approach it, because in many respects, I'm at a loss for words.
January 29th, 2014 at 10:13 AM ^
A sexual predator on the team. Who would have thought it?
January 29th, 2014 at 11:52 AM ^
January 29th, 2014 at 1:09 PM ^
and he's gone! Only time will tell if this was a cover up to keep your good kicker on the team. If so, both Brandon and Hoke will have to go! Until the University clears this up we will never know. The University may not be able to say much. So, my guess is that Brandon and Hoke will continue, at least until they start winning again! This is more of a black eye to the University itself!
January 29th, 2014 at 12:01 PM ^
What a liar you have for a coach. Tsk Tsk.
January 29th, 2014 at 2:40 PM ^
Makes the whole "brunette girls" thing seem rather creepy now.