The "Letter"

[Gushawk]

so I've finally read the letter from the victim's mom.

I'm convinced that Ferentz shouldn't go down alone for this. I'm not yet certain that he shouldn't go down at all. More information is required on his role, if any, in encouraging the victim to handle the matter "informally."

[Debit One]

so I've finally read the letter from the victim's mom.

I'm convinced that Ferentz shouldn't go down alone for this. I'm not yet certain that he shouldn't go down at all. More information is required on his role, if any, in encouraging the victim to handle the matter "informally."

It seems to me that Ferentz is actually farther down on the list than Mason, or the general counsel, or the AD's office. The football coach would have the least ability to direct any sort of investigation, or "informal" process, of anyone involved.

The one thing that I absolutely do not believe is that there was a cover up of any kind. Ineptitude - perhaps. Cover up - no.

I also am trying very hard not to form any judgments on this without the opportunity to hear the U of I's side of this story. The problem, of course, is that we may never get to hear it.

[Gushawk]

"Encouraging" or "pressuring" the victim to handle the matter "informally" within the athletic department or even within the institution in any way is horrendously inappropriate, IMO. Both the athletic department and the institution should have a processes for these incidents, but nobody at the university should be offering guidance to the victim as to whether they would be "better off" exclusively availing themselves of that process. If KF participated in any way in any such sales job, then I would consider him unfit for the position he holds. And I wouldn't care whether he was instructed to do it or not.

[PipeDaddy]

The letter reeks of an overemotional parent seeing things irrationally.

I'm not meaning to denigrate the parent - I may be the exact same.

But come on - this one just doesn't make sense. If there was some sort of coverup attempt, then Mason and others need to be fired for pure stupidity alone.

[BuffettHawk]

The letter reeks of an overemotional parent seeing things irrationally.




True, but why wasn't Public Safety called sooner? That's what bothers me. If a University official finds out about an alleged an assault, that official must get ahold of the proper authorities and let them handle it properly. There were several important steps that were missed/delayed in handling this situation.

The University can run its own investigation, but that can't come first.

[JR Hawks]

My comments won't be popular but oh well...

This whole situation is starting to take on elements of a feeding frenzy and witch hunt, IMO. And The Des Moines Register couldn't be happier about that.

The media in this country has a real bad habit of of portraying a "guilty until proven innocent" philosophy in their coverage of these stories. And then when the guilty is shown to be innocent, the media is on to the next story and nowhere to be seen. No retraction. No apology. Nothing.

Now when I talk about guilty/innocent above, I'm referring to the "cover up" component of this story not the ALLEGED crime. However, the players deserve their day in court as well. Sorry, but an ugly timeline of the allegations in the school newspaper and some grandstanding comments from an upset mother do not make the players guilty. Nor does the oral sex the victim voluntarily gave one of the accused mean she approved of what happened later in the evening.

Bottom Line: The players are innocent until proven guilty. They deserve their day in court and the punishment they have coming to them if found to be guilty. Just because a potentially ugly crime occured doesn't mean a cover up occured. The media needs to grow up in that regard. I'd challenge anyone to successfully handle this situation in a manner that pleases everyone in an environment as beauracratic as a university.