Baylor University continues to assess the impact that thee sexual assault scandal from within the football program will have in the long-term outlook, and it appears it is going to be quite pricey. One reform group of Baylor donors estimates the scandal could end up costing the university as much as $223 million. At the same time, a former Baylor employee is suing the law firm that conducted an investigation of the program and university for negligence and defamation.
Tom Hill is a former Baylor athletics employee who was fired following the Pepper Hamilton investigation of Baylor’s Title IX procedures amid allegations of football players sexually assaulting women. Hill and his lawyers argue the investigation was insufficient in obtaining the proper information needed to reach any fair conclusions, which he believes ended up costing him his job at Baylor.
“Defendants did not give an appropriate, accurate, complete and unbiased report of all facts necessary for the university to properly understand the true nature of any potentially inappropriate culture or social environment at the university,” the lawsuit says, according to The Waco Tribune. “As a direct result of the negligence of the defendants in carrying out their contractual obligations, serious collateral damage was done to several university employees, including plaintiff.”
Hill is seeking $60,000 in lost income. He was previously offered a severance package of $34,373 by the university, but he turned it down. The $60,000 is the smallest fraction of the total legal costs Baylor is expected to end up paying when they finally end up settling this case. The university is likely to spend a fortune in legal fees, but it will be the fines and sanctions and settlements made to former employees and victims that will ultimately contribute to the enormous costs.
And that’s just the beginning. Baylor donors project a significant loss in private contributions, with a projected loss of $101.3 million in donations. From The Waco Tribune;
According to [Managing director ofAustin law firm HSSK LLC Jared Jordan]’s report, Baylor has spent or will spend almost $33 million in legal, consulting and public relations costs, $30 million in fines and sanctions and more than $24 million in settlements with former employees. Other costs of sexual assault investigations, victim settlements, hiring of interim and new employees and Title IX compliance costs bring the total costs to $121.7 million.
He also projects $101.3 million in lost private contributions until 2019.
That is an astounding number for a university that has experienced such a revival on the football field in recent years, helping to build a brand new football stadium. Baylor is in strong need of strong leaders across the university right now. Hiring Matt Rhule from Temple to be the new head coach is nice for the football program, but he can only do so much to change the image of the Baylor football program and university. Somebody will be needed to turn the donor issue around in the coming years, otherwise it could be a very long time before Baylor gets back on its feet.
