MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

This.

More importantly, put yourself in the shoes of his future son/daughter in-laws. How comfortable are they going to be letting grandpa spend time alone with his grand kids? There will always be a kernel of doubt in their minds.

What a joke. I hope he gets some kind of compensation.

But....he stuck to his story from the very beginning. No way this tarnishes his reputation. None.*


*Said with tongue firmly embedded in cheek.

[slosho]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

But....he stuck to his story from the very beginning. No way this tarnishes his reputation. None.*


*Said with tongue firmly embedded in cheek.

It shouldn't; but that is not the reality in this day and age.

[RabbitObsessed]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

This.

More importantly, put yourself in the shoes of his future son/daughter in-laws. How comfortable are they going to be letting grandpa spend time alone with his grand kids? There will always be a kernel of doubt in their minds.

What a joke. I hope he gets some kind of compensation.

Good posts from you and CatchEm. Didn't consider this.

[NorCalJack]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

Here is the story from ESPN, good read but sad just the same.

http://espn.go.com/espn/conversations/_/id/9308806/minnesota-state-mankato-coach-todd-hoffner-career-was-ruined-child-porn-allegation-espn-magazine

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

During the McMartin and Little Rascals preschool witch hunts of the 90's, Walmart's one hour developing labs used to grab parents who brought pictures of their kids in the bath tub. Used to hold 'em in the back room and have the cops march them out of the store. Don't know if any prosecutions actually took place. Remember at least three or four similar stories from different parts of the country. It didn't help that the fill-in h.c. was wildly successful, but MSU certainly looks cowardly in this case. Hope some school has the balls to pick him up.

[Nidaros]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

I expected a huge law suit being filed by the coach by now, but none seems to be the works. MSU-Mankato seem to have wiped their slates clean by firing the guy. I am just wondering if there are any grounds for a law suit. MSU should pay big time for this error in ruining a man's life. I agree with Grizzled Jack, MSU looks very cowardly.

[jack power]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

I expected a huge law suit being filed by the coach by now, but none seems to be the works. MSU-Mankato seem to have wiped their slates clean by firing the guy. I am just wondering if there are any grounds for a law suit. MSU should pay big time for this error in ruining a man's life. I agree with Grizzled Jack, MSU looks very cowardly.

In the article he said his lawyer told him he had to wait until he was fired,then he would have grounds to sue, so i'm sure a lawsuit is coming.

[joeboo22]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

It says its currently being handled by the Union, which probably means they are waiting for that until his personal lawsuit will occur.

As for the issue, I do understand Mankato's side of things, they were highly successful this year without him and its one of those things where no matter how many times he's proved innocent there will be people who believe he got away. I don't understand though why they transferred him to another department suspended him and then fired him. I would have negotiated a buy-out and try to save face. (maybe they tried).

As for the complete situation, I'm not going to fault the school so to say for what they did, I'm sure the guy who reported it didn't know that they were his kids and it is a work cell phone, etc. I do think they could have told him why he was suspended and been a little more open with him. I just look at the district attorney who filed the charges without a grand jury.

And lets be honest if Jerry Sandusky hadn't happened, I doubt it would have been a big issue, maybe he gets at talking too from the higher ups, but the D.A. doesn't prosecute the school doesn't freak out, etc.

[goon]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

It's a slippery slope for sure. What its and everything. Which ever way a story like this unfolds never has a happy ending becasue people still get hurt. When msu tried to do the right thing which turned out to be nothing but has major consequences. I think msu did the right thing and hopefully can settle and both move on from it.

[Nidaros]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

In the article he said his lawyer told him he had to wait until he was fired,then he would have grounds to sue, so i'm sure a lawsuit is coming.

That right, and also he has union representation, who is filing appeals to the firing.This procedure has to run its course as well. So it may be awhile.
Its been awhile ago like about 1981, but seems like John Gregory appealed his firing and got a settlement of one years salary. A firing under completely different circumstances, but it goes to show that firing coaches often has its consequences

[jackmd]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

During the McMartin and Little Rascals preschool witch hunts of the 90's, Walmart's one hour developing labs used to grab parents who brought pictures of their kids in the bath tub. Used to hold 'em in the back room and have the cops march them out of the store. Don't know if any prosecutions actually took place. Remember at least three or four similar stories from different parts of the country. It didn't help that the fill-in h.c. was wildly successful, but MSU certainly looks cowardly in this case. Hope some school has the balls to pick him up.

Cowardly seems to me to be the best description of the actions of MSU in this case. I am certain their legal counsel suggested they give him a position allowing him to complete his contract and then that they fire him without cause. Many mistakes were made here from an employee using a state issued cell phone to take videos that could and were deemed of an inappropriate content. To an HR department and administration at MSU that handled the situation biased by the developments surrounding a high profile national scandal at Penn State. The employee in IT did nothing wrong by going to his superior. The superior in IT turned it over to HR. When HR and administration failed to conduct their own investigation and involved the state's attorney they lost all local control.

In the end, the state's attorney decided he needed to follow the letter of the law understanding that it would likely injure this individual and this family irreparably. As is often the case is situations like this decision were made without regard for the potentially innocent as a consequence of a sense that society needed protection. Its a dangerous and slippery slope when our administration and legal system veers away from the principal of innocent until proven guilty. This applies across a spectrum of current issues and should serve as a reminder to each of us.

Best case scenario in my mind? Mr. Hofner gets another opportunity at another school. The Hofner family gets a fresh start in that community and any monetary damages incurred as a consequence of the hastily made decisions at MSU be awarded to the Hofner family.

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

It's a slippery slope for sure. What its and everything. Which ever way a story like this unfolds never has a happy ending becasue people still get hurt. When msu tried to do the right thing which turned out to be nothing but has major consequences. I think msu did the right thing and hopefully can settle and both move on from it.

I disagree. MSU handled this about as poorly as you could. Coach Hofner is going to get a TON of money in damages. Probably in millions.

[witness]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

I know it was a school issued phone but what/why exactly was the IT guy watching the videos in the first place?

[Nidaros]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

I disagree. MSU handled this about as poorly as you could. Coach Hofner is going to get a TON of money in damages. Probably in millions.

I think you are right on. I am sure the attorney is not looking for an early settlement.

[Hammersmith]

Re: MSU-Mankato FB Coach Arrested

I know it was a school issued phone but what/why exactly was the IT guy watching the videos in the first place?

Hofner was having problems with the phone and turned it over to IT to have it fixed. I believe the phone was a loss and the IT guy was transferring the files and contacts to a new phone when he found the video(s).