As a department chair at a R1 university and a Faculty Senate President, I am SICK of the threads about rumors related to Kiffin's involvement with co-eds. These sort of rumors occurred at UT as well and were never supported.
What is worse is the number of you who think, if true, it's okay because "they are both adults." No it's not. This is an ethical issue for faculty and staff on campuses and relationships with students are not the "free for all" they were 20 years ago. There is a significant difference in power and implications so to claim such relationships are freely consensual is simply wrong. Such relationships, even if they are, create a chilling effect on other students. I have been at too many schools where there were seemingly consensual relationships between faculty and students and it was a disaster, often huge lawsuits we lost. Add to the image it creates for the football team, etc. and it's not a simple matter of some sugar daddy affair.
I'm not naive. This stuff happens. I have had my share of lovely co-eds suggesting fun for favors over the years and it takes a damn strong person to say no, to be perfectly honest. But, you must. Stay away from students...whether in your class, etc. period.
What is worse is the number of you who think, if true, it's okay because "they are both adults." No it's not. This is an ethical issue for faculty and staff on campuses and relationships with students are not the "free for all" they were 20 years ago. There is a significant difference in power and implications so to claim such relationships are freely consensual is simply wrong. Such relationships, even if they are, create a chilling effect on other students. I have been at too many schools where there were seemingly consensual relationships between faculty and students and it was a disaster, often huge lawsuits we lost. Add to the image it creates for the football team, etc. and it's not a simple matter of some sugar daddy affair.
I'm not naive. This stuff happens. I have had my share of lovely co-eds suggesting fun for favors over the years and it takes a damn strong person to say no, to be perfectly honest. But, you must. Stay away from students...whether in your class, etc. period.
