Once again, I find myself writing to the editor on the subjects of alcohol, head football coach Frank Solich and the administration of Ohio University.
I was absolutely mortified last week when I read in both The Athens News and The Columbus Dispatch that more than a dozen Ohio University athletes had been arrested in 2006 for several offenses, many of which were at least alcohol-related, including assault.
Following this new disaster in what has seemed to be an unending torrent of bad publicity for the university, President Roderick McDavis, coach Solich and Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt claimed that they had only just become aware of the serious problem of irresponsible and illegal behavior among student-athletes on campus.
After a very brief Google search, I was able to view the Athens County Municipal Court Docket online. Within five minutes I was able to find the criminal records of several of the OU athletes mentioned in both the Dispatch and The Athens News.
Because of this it is clear to me that the office of the Athletic Director and the university administration blatantly ignored what is obviously a serious problem.
It is also clear from the types of punishments doled out by coach Solich to some of the offending football players that he encourages such irresponsible behavior. Six hours of mandatory study hall is not sufficient punishment for a drunken assault.
It is now my firm belief that the governance of Ohio University has been bungled and mismanaged so severely that the reputation of the school may never recover.
McDavis should apologize for ignoring the issues of violence and risky alcohol behavior among student-athletes.
He should also apologize for allowing coach Solich to continue to punish football players at his discretion after he himself was convicted of a serious alcohol-related offense. In light of this new scandal both the coach and Athletic Director Hocutt should be fired for their gross incompetence.
' Mazy Hayes is a junior art history major.
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Letter to the Editor
