Reasons for Jamie Morris Ouster in Termination letter
http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-football/former-star-michigan-running…
According to that letter, Morris was fired for allowing a football quality control staff member to drive a courtesy car normally reserved for a coach or administrator for nearly a month without authorization. And when that vehicle was involved in a crash, Morris told multiple stories about what happened, the letter says. “You have been discharged from the University of Michigan for work misconduct which includes a failure to appropriately manage a significant aspect of your work responsibilities, the demonstration of extremely poor judgment, willful deception, an unethical effort to engage others in an attempt to cover-up the truth, and a deliberate misrepresentation of facts to your direct supervisor,” Brandon wrote just over a month after he took over as athletic director. The three-page letter says Morris will not be recommended for rehire.
Further letter details in the article.
September 9th, 2010 at 8:55 AM ^
This should not have been made public.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:06 AM ^
When a FOIA is filed.
Now whether AA.com really needed to file one for this....
September 9th, 2010 at 9:07 AM ^
If the athletic department fires a prominent former player, it's definitely news and worth filing a FOIA.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:15 AM ^
There are exceptions to the MI FOIA statute that this could fall under. It just depends how much time and $ the University wants to throw at its legal team.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:42 PM ^
There are exceptions to the MI FOIA statute that this could fall under. It just depends how much time and $ the University wants to throw at its legal team.
And lawyers wonder why they are so widely-despised.
If it's a non-exempt public record, then it's a non-exempt public record, and UM did the right thing by releasing it. Jamie Morris has always been one of my favorite Wolverines and it is disappointing that this will deeply tarnish his reputation, but as he is a public figure I think the chances of this letter being exempt are slim and none.
September 9th, 2010 at 1:25 PM ^
Jamie Morris is the first Michigan player I can remember as a kid. After 25+ years of loyal service to the University, letting a quality control guy use a coaches car and attempting to cover up the accident is a bad decision, but it won't "deeply tarnish" his reputation- at least not with me. Maybe he keeps his job with a severe punishment (or handles the situation differently) if things weren't on Code Red lockdown after the sanctions. It's not like he committed some awful crime. A fireable offense, certainly.
September 9th, 2010 at 7:40 PM ^
remember what jamie morris did to bama in the 88 hall of fame bowl and he will always be my all time favorite michigan player... but this is one of the biggest dumbass moves ever...
September 9th, 2010 at 10:02 AM ^
"Penalties for Violation of the Act:
If the circuit court finds that the public body has arbitrarily and capriciously violated the Freedom of Information Act by refusal or delay in disclosing or providing copies of a public record, it may, in addition to any actual or compensatory damages, award punitive damages of $500 to the person seeking the right to inspect or receive a copy of a public record."
http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7-164-17337_18160-51242--,00.html
September 9th, 2010 at 10:10 AM ^
but I don't think we need the suggestion of some sort of impropriety. The truth is less damaging than the imagination of the enemies of the U when it appears they are trying to hide something. Putting it out there seems less shady.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:15 AM ^
It's not an either/or situation. The court, if it finds abuse, would order Michigan to pay the fine and release the letter.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:08 AM ^
guy above me already said it.
September 9th, 2010 at 8:56 AM ^
all of this was already known.
Edit: Though I guess it does finally strangle the last life out of the whole, "Eviction of the LC regime" thing.
September 9th, 2010 at 8:57 AM ^
Interesting. Do coaches recieve courtesy cars?
September 9th, 2010 at 9:04 AM ^
Look in the back of the gameday program. ~40 local dealers provide cars as part of the "Transportation Team" to the AD.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:30 AM ^
is the parking lot near the practice field and train tracks is likely the "overflow" area and has 5-10 brand new cars with the dealership "sticker" (details/specs of the auto in the driver window) still on them.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:04 AM ^
what a poor use of a FOIA. I am not surprised that the A2.com refuses to use any discretion.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:10 AM ^
That would turn their mandatory "How to abuse FOIA" seminar into a waste of time.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:55 AM ^
yet they slip this little article about a former A2 News sports reporter through the cracks....
September 9th, 2010 at 10:09 AM ^
Jamie Morris set numerous records at the winningest college football program of all time. He's a prominent public figure who was fired from his alma mater. That makes this an important news story.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:26 AM ^
no it doesn't. His firing did not affect anything at the athletic department. It was news worthy months ago, not anymore. This is like picking at the scab on a wound, just to pick at it. Dave Brandon having constipation is more news worthy than this garbage of a FOIA.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:42 AM ^
Months ago would be when they filed the FOIA.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:27 AM ^
Boy, dude had a problem. I mean, that's what he was fired from the Ann Arbor News for (though at the time it was just for having "inappropriate materials on his computer"...how that never got reported to the police, I'd love to know...), then he went to Washington first (he covered when we had the home and home series vs. U-W). But that didn't seem to last long before he bounced around a few more times. I can see why. It's horrendous to be doing this stuff. But how stupid is it that you do it at your place of work multiple times?!?! Can't imagine his family was still with him.
The kinda sad part of it is he was one of the few reporters to give Michigan a fair shake. And we get Carty in return.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:06 AM ^
well, he at least he made the smooth career transition from lending cars to selling them
September 9th, 2010 at 9:06 AM ^
It'd be even worse if he made the same mistake in the new job.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:17 AM ^
This only applies to a public institution, even though the Athletic Department is self funding
Isn't there some legal way to get around this? Employee's right to privacy?
September 9th, 2010 at 10:19 AM ^
Kwame.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:13 PM ^
The fact that the Athletic Department is "Self funding" makes no difference what so ever. U of M is a public university and that's all there is to it.
Personally I think people are making a much bigger deal out of this FOIA than is necessary.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:31 AM ^
....that many of you want to highlight just how ethical and above the board the GOOD GUYS are yet don't want to hear or acknowledge when a former GOOD GUY does something wrong or at least keep it private? Jamie screwed up big time and disgraced his alma mater. WTF was he thinking when doing this? Jaime claims he was just helping someone but it's clear it was more than just that. Us UM fans can't have it both ways when dealing with things like this especially when many of you put UM on a pedestal
September 9th, 2010 at 9:45 AM ^
but his laundry shouldn't be publically aired. It's no different from me (as a private worker) doing something wrong and being terminated. A new perspective employeer will have a hard time even getting the information that I was terminated for cause. It just doesn't happen that way in the private sector. Why should this be different?
September 9th, 2010 at 9:57 AM ^
completely agree. This firing has no effect if any on the day-to-day operations of the AD and the University. It did not go to litigation. Let Jamie and his family have their privacy.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:48 AM ^
It's no different from me (as a private worker) doing something wrong and being terminated.
No, it is different. When you take a job in a public sector, you are getting paid through tax dollars and there is an expectation by the public that you use those tax dollars to good use. When you are in the private sector, what you do only matters to you and your employer. This is why the FOIA exists, the public should be able to examine what you are doing while you are essentially employed by the public.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:38 AM ^
He's employed by the public sector, yes. But it's not clear to me that tax dollars paid his salary.
I'm not disputing the general idea that as a U-M employee, he's subject the scrutiny as a "public" employee. But I question whether it's also true that general fund dollars were involved in his pay & beneefits.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:06 PM ^
Fine, change it from "you are getting paid through tax dollars" to "your employer is supported by tax dollars" and keep the rest. The point is still the same.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:03 AM ^
Is this really a question:
"It just doesn't happen that way in the private sector. Why should this be different?"
Because, this is, uh, the PUBLIC sector. Also, it's not that hard to get this sort of information out of private sector businesses, it's the kind of stuff that potential employers ask about on applications and the same kind of stuff they ask your previous employers when they do a background check. It's not like it's sealed in a vault and locked away.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:04 AM ^
Don't want your dirty laundry aired? Don't be a high-profile employee of a public university and pull stunts like this. Jamie Morris is an extremely recognizable and public figure. His actions tarnished the Athletic Department. And I don't know how it's unreasonable to think that this is not only a news story, but that it should be put out there as an example of what not to do as an employee and how to deal with it as an administrator.
I'm proud of how David Brandon dealt with this matter, and frankly, in disclosing this letter through FOIA, the Athletic Department has shown that it is dealing with problems in a more decisive and serious way than it ever has before. Instead of taking care of perhaps the most visible of "Bo's Boys," Brandon did the right thing. That's worth commending.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:16 PM ^
This is the inherent problem with rewarding your most loyal team players with positions within your organization: they will continue to act out of loyalty.
Jamie probably felt he was doing a favor that hurts nobody for a guy who's also part of Michigan, and to Jamie, a guy in the Michigan program deserves a little more than shirts might say is their lot.
This is why he was a great teammate.
This is why he's not a good manager of quality control staff.
Michigan's definition of a "clean" program is one that follows the book. It's nice to be able to find positions for the guys who gave their hearts and souls to Michigan, but there's a thing about the kind of guy who can give his heart and soul to a college football program: he's not going to be the kind of guy who can dispassionately follow the rules.
In another program, perhaps Jamie doesn't get fired. I don't think this makes Jamie a bad person. Rather, I think the real story only reinforces my idea of who Jamie Morris is: a guy who will do anything for his friends, his teammates, and Michigan.
Don't ever confuse "bad judgment" with "bad guy." They are two very different things.
September 9th, 2010 at 1:41 PM ^
I'm definitely with you on the, "what did you expect Jamie to do, Not help someone?" But when the car got totalled he needed to remember what he was taught at Michigan and take ownership of the situation he created.
I feel like I can keep people on my team who have a lapse in judgement. When they attempt to cover it up, that makes me wonder what else they are keeping from me, and that means I can't rely on them as a team member anymore.
That is why he is fired.
The reason we are discussing how bad we feel for Jamie, because of our memories of him on the football field, and NOT whether or not he was the Lloyd mole, come directly from the laws governing public institutions.
I'm glad we're actually discussing facts instead of fabricated rumor,
But I'm pretty sure we would have discussed something.
Cause that's who we are.
September 9th, 2010 at 8:09 PM ^
September 9th, 2010 at 9:44 AM ^
Why does it not surprise me that football quality control staff members were involved? I seem to remember something else this summer that involved quality control staff doing things they weren't supposed to do... oh nevermind, it was probably nothing.
Seriously though, it is time not just to fire and sanction the people who try to keep the quality control staff in line, but actually teach the quality control staff the rules here. I don't mean to give a knee-jerk reaction, but we shouldn't be hearing about these folks in the offseason this many times for breaking university or NCAA policies, knowingly or not.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:21 AM ^
Should be someone you NEVER hear about, unless you love reading every page of a program.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:48 AM ^
He might not have been fired if he hadn't lied about it.
Pull the George Costanza defense when he schutpped the cleaning lady in his office: "Was that wrong? Should I not have done that? I gotta tell ya, I have to plead ignorance on this one . . . "
September 9th, 2010 at 10:08 AM ^
like this will get you fired no matter who you are. This incident was reported by the MSM shortly after Morris was let go but UM had to honor the FOIA request as noted above.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:38 AM ^
established, and no one can take it away from him (yeah Reggie, I'm talking about you). That does not excuse him from responsible behavior anywhere else. As much as it pains me to see it, the event apparently took place. If you don't want your name in the news, it might not be a good idea to go to work for one of the most storied football programs in the land, at a very large, very public university.
I was all in favor of DB coming in and doing what needed to be done. Some of it is probably easy and fun, some of it isn't, but I want him to take care of it. I wish Jamie all the best. While there is not an up side to this, the timing saved him from having to look Bo in the eyes and tell him what he had done.
September 9th, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^
Brandon is laying down the law as he sees fit, another possible take would have been to show a little sympathy if some prospective employer called: "Well, Jamie wasn't honest when the thing came to light, the whole thing steamrolled, and he was terminated. I feel badly for Jamie despite his obvious screw-up and he was a great employee and (obviously) UM hero for many years preceding. . ."
September 9th, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
A potetential employer might have a legitimate reason for seeking this information so long after the fact. A news source doing it is dirt trolling in my opinion.
September 9th, 2010 at 2:34 PM ^
I don't have a problem with FOIA. Tons of people on this very board speculated that he was ousted for disloyalty to RR as part of the "Carr cabal" or whatever. This puts a stake through that BS, permanently.
September 9th, 2010 at 8:07 PM ^
Is that not better than knowing that he made a terrible choice and then tried to cover it up...
Did he not watch that Brady Bunch episode where they tried to cover up the broken lamp?
The cover up is always worse....IS that not why we tell our kids to tell us the truth..and be honest if you mess up? Of course, Roger Clemens did not learn that either...
September 9th, 2010 at 8:53 PM ^