What about academic departments?

[CoolDawg]

If the rumors are true, then our baseball coach was fired for having an extramarital affair with someone that worked for another sport in the athletic department. I have read many comments to the affect that he should have been fired because of his influence on molding young men, etc. My question for the pack (the departments I use here are purely hypothetical and in no way intended to suggest anything inappropriate): If the head of the science department had an extramarital affair with an associate professor in the sociology department, should he/she be fired? Do we and should we hold our athletic department employees to a higher standard than employees on the academic side?

 

[tatedog]

Nobody cares about employees who aren't public figures unless they do something that makes them public like the guy at Michigan State. Not saying the standard should or shouldn't be different, it just is based on exposure.

 

[Ishmael]

Here’s the thing: it depends. If there’s possible crossover between the departments and an argument that the associate professor felt like she couldn’t refuse because there was an imbalance of power, then the head of the other department should absolutely be fired. This should happen in any business, regardless of the public nature of the person.

Then, add to the fact that this position is a very visible one and this would potentially hurt recruiting, and the termination is appropriate whether or not there is an obvious imbalance of power.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

He probably had a morality clause. He's a public face of the university.

 

[HumpDawgy]

Give it up. You can't justify this and Cohen is not going to reinstate Cann, so it is a moot point. Also, we all know that heads of departments and professors always go after the unripened, green fruit.

 

[AROB44]

My guess is Cann was fired as much for lying to the IB as he was for the affair.

 

[dogmatic]

Alienation of Affection Claim

I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but something being missed here is this: In Mississippi, if an employer has knowledge of an extramarital affair going on between two of its employees and does nothing, that employer is legally culpable in civil court and can be successfully sued by the aggrieved spouse for Alienation of Affection.

So yes, if the university knew of any two employees poking outside the bounds of the marriages they were known to have, the university must act.

 

[EngDawg]

Slight Hijack: Aerospace Department

Has anyone heard about something going down with the aerospace department?

 

[aTotal360]

Head of departments may very well be held to the same standard. I don't know. This isn't hard to comprehend. There is a sliding scale based on your performance, who much you are public facing, and how egregious the "crime" is.

 

[Dawgsnsaints]

Has anyone heard about something going down with the aerospace department?

I was aware that Dr. Koenig was being twisted aside by the current head of the Department, many Aero Alums were/are quite upset. Dr. Koenig is a legend and has helped many students get to where they are today.

 

[FQDawg]

Has anyone heard about something going down with the aerospace department?

There's a small group of disgruntled students/young alumni who are trying to make out that the department is imploding. It's not. There's a relatively new department head who isn't making exactly the same decisions they think they would make (even though they aren't privy to things like budgets and personnel issues) so they're making a stink.

There are also rumors that aerospace is going to be merged into mechanical engineering. But there is no basis for this and is one of those untruths that won't seem to die no matter how many times it's refuted.

The other thing to consider is that one of the ringleaders wrote this in a public facebook group: "I am a Mississippi native, but currently live in Alabama. I have an Aerospace Engineering degree (B.S. and M.S.) from Mississippi State University, even though I am a die-hard Ole Miss fan. Hotty Toddy." Make of that what you will.

 

[o_dawgnabit]

I see your point but there are a lot of rumors circulating that Cohen definitely had a cause to fire him. I'm not sure what that is but I've just heard through the grapevine

 

[CoolDawg]

Alienation of Affection Claim

I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, but something being missed here is this: In Mississippi, if an employer has knowledge of an extramarital affair going on between two of its employees and does nothing, that employer is legally culpable in civil court and can be successfully sued by the aggrieved spouse for Alienation of Affection.

So yes, if the university knew of any two employees poking outside the bounds of the marriages they were known to have, the university must act.

Please cite one case in the history of the jurisprudence of this state that supports your point.

 

[Raiderdawg.sixpack]

It has happened

When I was in grad school at state, a professor was hooking up with an administrative assistant in our department. Everyone knew it.

When I was on faculty at a different school, a professor was caught banging a student.
Neither were fired.

In both cases, the professor was not a supervisor or had never taught the student. If the professor had supervisory role, they would have been fired. Plus, I never saw a morality clause in faculty contact nor did the professor lie when caught.

 

[Crucifictorious]

The university has a policy on Amorous Relationships: http://www.policies.msstate.edu/policypdfs/0128.pdf

"No MSU employee or student in a position of authority shall enter into or continue a power-differentialamorous relationship with another employee or student at MSU. If one exists or develops, it is theresponsibility of the employee or student to report that relationship to his/her immediate supervisor and/orHuman Resources Management. Failure to report such a relationship may result in disciplinary action."

 

[esplanade91]

I heard that he used department resources (money? facilities? not clear) to facilitate the affair, which was the fireable offense.

 

[CoolDawg]

That would make more sense to me. I am convinced that there are things that we do not know and may never know.

 

[Dawgsnsaints]

I heard that he used department resources (money? facilities? not clear) to facilitate the affair, which was the fireable offense.

He got busy on the couch in the Coach's break room**

 

[Lawdawg.sixpack]

Children's Medical Group, P.A. v. Phillips, 940 So. 2d 931 (Miss. 2006).

If he's arguing vicarious liability, that's not correct. Under this case, though, an employer could theoretically be liable IF wrongful conduct of the employer caused the loss of affection. Wrongful conduct "is the direct and intentional interference with the marriage relationship." I can't really see how an employer sitting on knowledge of an affair is "direct and intentional interference," but that depends on the facts.

 

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

Has anyone heard about something going down with the aerospace department?

If things are going down in Aerospace, they aren't doing their job.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Are you replying to me?

 

[Dawgzilla]

That would make more sense to me. I am convinced that there are things that we do not know and may never know.

Thank you, Captain Obvious!!

View attachment 9673

 

[RocketDawg]

There's a small group of disgruntled students/young alumni who are trying to make out that the department is imploding. It's not. There's a relatively new department head who isn't making exactly the same decisions they think they would make (even though they aren't privy to things like budgets and personnel issues) so they're making a stink.

There are also rumors that aerospace is going to be merged into mechanical engineering. But there is no basis for this and is one of those untruths that won't seem to die no matter how many times it's refuted.

The other thing to consider is that one of the ringleaders wrote this in a public facebook group: "I am a Mississippi native, but currently live in Alabama. I have an Aerospace Engineering degree (B.S. and M.S.) from Mississippi State University, even though I am a die-hard Ole Miss fan. Hotty Toddy." Make of that what you will.

Probably don't make much of it at all. He could very well have been and Ole Miss fan most of his life, but also wanted to work in the aerospace industry, and realized that MSU was the only school in Mississippi for that degree and the only school in the state for a reputable engineering degree. So he came to State to get his degree and enable his career goals, but maintained his sports allegiance to Ole Miss. That sort of thing happens.

Regarding the other matter ... some time after I graduated, I seem to recall that there was a scandal (I suppose you could call it that) where the department head was found to have forged his degrees somehow. He was a Brit, if that helps, but I don't remember his name. So the department has not always been free of controversy.