View Comments BREAKING: UNM Drops Bombshell in Locksley Case By Martin Salazar Wednesday, 04 November 2009 10:35
University of New Mexico officials alleged Wednesday that assistant coach J.B. Gerald demanded $500,000 form the university in exchange for remaining silent about the Mike Locksley altercation. The revelation came during a meeting with Journal reporter and editors before the news conference slated to begin at 11 a.m. A timeline distributed by the university states that on Oct. 1, "university receives letter from J.B. Gerald's attorney offering continued media silence in exchange for a $500,000 settlement figure."
During the meeting with the Journal, UNM President David Schmidly and Athletics Vice President Paul Krebs acknowledged that mistakes were made in the handling of the Sept. 20 altercation.
"It's clear to me that mistakes were made," Schmidly said, noting that under UNM policy, the athletics department shouldn't have been allowed to investigate the altercation.
Gerald alleges that Locksley punched and choked him during a coaches meeting on Sept. 20, the day after the Lobos lost to Air Force. Locksley admits that he shouldn't have put his hands on Gerald, but denies punching or choking him. Several assistant coaches told an Athletics Department human resources representative that Locksley had indeed choked Locksley and one said Locksley was swinging at Gerald.
Posted on 11/4 11:17 AM | IP: Logged
With the destruction of evidence etc., it will likely cost the taxpayers of New Mexico much more than that. In addition, as long as Gerald's civil suit is pending there will continue to be a huge black cloud hanging over Lockley and the UNM football program.
Posted on 11/4 8:26 PM | IP: Logged
UNM: Locksley probe bungled, not buried Updated: Wednesday, 04 Nov 2009, 9:51 PM MST Published : Wednesday, 04 Nov 2009, 12:44 PM MST * Reporter: Crystal Gutierrez * Web Producer: Paulette Mastio
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Top University of New Mexico officials admit today they messed up big-time in the handling of the Locksley scandal.
For more than a month there have been inconsistencies surrounding the investigation into the scuffle between football coach Mike Locksley and assistant coach J.B Gerald.
University President David Schmidly admits the investigation was botched from the beginning, from the way witness interviews were conducted to how the documents were destroyed.
“First people and organizations are not perfect,” Schmidly said. "Mistakes happen."
Schmidly pointed out numerous mistakes:
* Athletic director Paul Krebs should have reported the incident immediately to UNM's Human Resources department instead of conducting his own investigation * Witness statements taken by the athletic department should not have been paraphrased and the documents containing all the findings should not have been destroyed. * The university should have turned over all documents to News 13 when requested weeks ago.
While they made these huge mistakes, university officials insist there was no cover up.
“I misapplied university policy when conducting the investigation and frankly I was not aware of the university policy," Krebs said. "Frankly for that I’m sorry that this has added to the confusion."
September 20, 2009 then assistant coach J.B. Gerald filed a police report claiming Locksley choked him and punched him in the mouth.
Athletic director Paul Krebs still maintains in Wednesday's press conference that no witnesses saw Locksley throw a punch. This despite statements from a coach who says Locksley was swinging at Gerald and three coaches who said Locksley choked Gerald. Those statements came during the athletic director's investigation in the days right after the scuffle.
Krebs says he thought the coach meant Locksley was swinging his arms as in flailing, not punching. Still, Krebs only gave Locksely a written and verbal reprimand, a slap on the wrist.
After the human resources investigation by the university, Krebs handed down a second punishment, suspending Locksley for 10 days without pay. The university also claimed today J.B. Gerald asked for $500,000 to keep him silent; President Schmidley said the university will not settle.
News 13 asked UNM officials if they would release the findings from the human resources investigation, the second investigation that led to Locksley's suspension and President Schmidly said the university will meet with its attorneys before making a decision on that.
Schmidly also said the university should have handed over all documents to KRQE News 13 when the formal request was made weeks ago.
“It was a mistake," Schmidly said. "It was not intentional, and as soon as the error the documents requested were released.”
Schmidly said even after all the admitted mistakes there was no intention to do anything wrong.
This post was edited on 11/4 10:47 PM by LadyLobosFan
Posted on 11/4 10:37 PM | IP: Logged
Updated: November 4, 2009 'Media silence' offered for $500,000 Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- University of New Mexico president David Schmidly said Wednesday that an attorney representing an assistant football coach sent a letter offering "continued media silence" in exchange for a $500,000 settlement in a dispute with head football coach Mike Locksley.
Schmidly said the overture was rejected.
"I outright refused it," Schmidly said during a news conference. "I turned the letter over to our legal staff and told them the answer is no."
Julian Haffner, a lawyer in Bethesda, Md., who is representing receivers coach J.B. Gerald, didn't immediately return telephone messages seeking comment.
Gerald, who claims he was punched and choked by Locksley, made his first public comments about the dispute during an interview broadcast last week by ESPN. Schmidly said he "wouldn't be surprised" if Gerald files a civil lawsuit against the university.
Later, administrators released a Nov. 3 letter to Haffner in which university lawyers expressed concern that Haffner had tried to speak to other New Mexico assistants without the school's permission.
After weeks of criticism over the Locksley mess, administrators gathered reporters on campus Wednesday to clarify their version of events since the Sept. 20 altercation.
Gerald said he sustained a split lip when Locksley struck him. Locksley admitted grabbing Gerald's collar but maintains he never threw a punch.
The latest developments changed nothing for Locksley, who last month served a 10-day suspension for his role in the altercation. Athletic director Paul Krebs said the coach will enter an anger management program after the season.
"Coach Locksley's behavior surrounding an argument with a member of his staff was wrong, plain and simple," Schmidly said. "He has painted this university, the athletic department, Lobo football and himself in an extremely poor light."
New Mexico (0-8, 0-4 Mountain West) plays Saturday at No. 17 Utah (7-1, 4-0).
Schmidly acknowledged the school made mistakes in following internal personnel procedures as the investigation unfolded. He also said the university improperly failed to provide records requested by several news organizations, including The Associated Press.
"We bungled the process in the areas I have mentioned, and we have already taken steps to correct and refine our procedural issues," Schmidly said. "But, and I want to repeat this, I am not aware of any evidence that would suggest a cover-up."
The university's vice president for human resources, Helen Gonzales, emphasized her investigation wasn't able to corroborate Gerald's claim to police that he was punched.
Gonzales also said notes gathered by an athletics administrator were not used in the university's official investigation because that person, Shannon Garbiso, was not a trained human resources investigator.
She also said Garbiso didn't use a tape recorder to document her meetings with assistant coaches and later compiled the notes from memory.
Garbiso's notes confirm that Locksley was swinging his arms while being restrained by assistant Mike Degory. Another assistant, Cheston Blackshear, reported that "Locks grabbed him (Gerald) by the shirt and started choking him."
Gonzales said her subsequent talks with the coaching staff failed to corroborate Gerald's claim.
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