Photo by Wade Payne, AP2011
Dave Hart
Debby Jennings
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The crossfire between Debby Jennings and the University of Tennessee continued on Friday.
A letter from David Burkhalter, the lawyer for the former Lady Vols associate athletics director for media relations, to UT assistant general counsel Michael D. Fitzgerald expressed a failure to "discern that U.T. has a sincere interest in trying to resolve this unfortunate matter amicably and we will proceed forward."
The letter was a response to UT releasing 250 pages worth of documents on Thursday from Jennings' personnel file to the News Sentinel along with a letter from Fitzgerald. A letter from Burkhalter to UT chancellor Jimmy Cheek — obtained Wednesday by the News Sentinel through an open records request — said Jennings had been advised to "pursue a discrimination/retaliation case against UT" after Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Dave Hart offered Jennings the choice on May 15 to be fired for "insubordination," resign or retire.
The letter expressed concern over the release of a March 16 email from Jennings to Hart, protesting Hart's statement to Pat Summitt that she would not be coaching the Lady Vols next season. "We intentionally left Coach Summitt's name out of our correspondence to Chancellor Cheek. However Ms. Jennings stands by what is stated in her March 16 email."
In Friday's letter, Burkhalter said that if UT had a sincere interest in resolving the matter then the following was requested: Provide (Burkhalter) with a copy of all documents released to the media and "suggest the name of one or two Federal Court trained mediators U.T. would accept for a pre-suit mediation."
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Comments » 75
CoverOrange writes:
Hart firmly put the ball back in your court with the throw down 250 pages worth of documents and your answer is "I don't think their sincere." Ms. Jennings needs to find a new lawyer, he is bringing a sling shot to a cannon fight.
flatrock writes:
Has the UT Women's Athletics ever turned a profit? Broken even? I applaud the product on the field- but it appears from here that the LV Good Ol' Girls Network built a comfy nest of their own and lost sight of how the bills got paid. Now, in the spirit of Title IX, they are pinning their hopes of a platinum parachute on their attorneys. Sad.
Bigger_Al writes:
Am I the only one that doesn't care if this woman works for UT or not? Seems like she is an "at-will" employee, not entitled to a job any more or less than the rest of us. If she can't manage a relationship with her new boss than she can go work somewhere else. If her skills are that great and she is such a joy to work with, I'm sure she will find employment easily.
And if an anti-UT dork like John Adams likes her, that is not a good sign.
flatrock writes:
Idiot.
Huttdawg100 writes:
I feel so sorry for Ms. Jennings and everyone that lost his or her job. However, I don't see a case here. Companies restructure all the time and employees are laid off.
Hart made a mistake by responding to her claims in the media. He should not have done that. My mom always told me: "Don't argue with fools, cuz you'll end up looking foolish when you do."
Munsterlander writes:
Flatrock nailed it.
Bigger_Al writes:
Well, my 88-yr old father likes watching the Lady Vols on the "tele". He is very sad about Pat's condition. But I don't think he has any idea who this Jennings person is.
But a bunch of chicks running up The Hill dressed in nothing but warpaint? I bet I can get him out of the house for that!
AlexAndersonAAradio writes:
I understand this ladies frustration, but she needs to keep it out of the media. I'm tired of everyone who works at UT thinking it's all about them instead of UT. No wonder we suck in all sports.
WetumpkaThumpa writes:
SHE WAS FIRED FOR INSUBORDINATION!!!! She has no case. Hart and company are a little more on top of things than the last AD, you better believe they have plenty of evidence to back their case. Her own comments are grounds enough to dismiss any case.
underthehill writes:
If you don't know UT Lady Vols basketball MORE than supports itself..then why comment on something you have no information about..Sad.
WetumpkaThumpa writes:
Or shall I say she should have been fired for Insubordination? Hart did the classy thing and gave her the opportunity to go out quietely by retiring, apparently she didn't understand that you can't make negative comments about the institution writing her fat paychecks.
lemme_axya_this writes:
That was funny.
mattnchatt writes:
Exactly! Anyone that has to work for a living understands that the boss is the boss. If you don't like it then work somewhere else. What's so hard to understand?
lemme_axya_this writes:
I think he was referring to women's athletics as a whole. Sure the Lady Vol basketball team pays for itself, but I don't know if any other women's team can say that.
Witch_Doctors writes:
Witch Doctor say she had every opportunity to do the right thing and step aside. Witch Doctor say she and her cheap suited attorney just sounds like they are airing dirty laundry JUST to smear the program(wheres the lawsuit? They know they will look like idiots if they do..Traitor). Witch Doctor say shes no Vol.
Goodbye Trash!
Bones never lie.
Bigger_Al writes:
And I bet that fancy-schmancy high-priced lawyer ends up with most of her severance, eh?
kennypowers writes:
She threatens a lawsuit and then claims UT doesn't want to resolve things amicably? Sounds like the lawyer is just upset UT is calling her bluff.
Witch_Doctors writes:
Witch Doctor believe she is just doing what she was fired for..causing trouble..Why smear the program and NOT sue? Witch Doctor say shes no Vol and they are just showing what trash she really is. Sad sad sad person.
Bones never lie.
casbah writes:
Even in the State of Tennessee, it is illegal to fire someone in retaliation for raising questions about possible, in my view certain, discrimination. It is also illegal to "retire" almost only middle-aged women and replace them with younger men or women. This is something that has been happening at UT with great frequency over the last 5+ years. Not just in the Athletic Department.
LouisVol writes:
... and do you think all of the men's sports pay for themselves? I doubt it seriously...
I'd say the women's teams provide more positive PR for the university than could be obtained with the money it costs to run their programs... the "pay for itself" argument just doesn't hold water when applied fairly among revenue and nonrevenue producing sports regardless of the gender involved.
absgovols writes:
Okay Whitworth, keep on your pants. What did Mr. Hart do at FSU that would suggest he has a "playbook", or is "sorry". I do not know any of the players in this but history nor the tea leaves seem to agree with you. What The University of Tennessee needs right now is for this to go away quietly, including Jennings. We will soon see how much she "loves" her university.
lemme_axya_this writes:
Football rules sir/ma'am. You know it, and I know it. It pays the debts ran up by many other sports, mens and womens. On that note, local A.M. sports talk show host said the ladies softball players recieved split scholarships.....no really, he said it.
WetumpkaThumpa writes:
The University of Tennessee Athletics Department is one of only about ten Athletic Departments that work on a surplus budget. That's why you see the UTAD donate money to the Academic side every year. I went to UTK along with most of my family (others to Vandy, Penn, OU, etc), and my Uncle is a UTK professor, I have a pretty good idea of what money goes where. Plus, they publish these things.
AlexAndersonAAradio writes:
The Lady really is making herself look bad. I agree with Witch Doctor on that. She's making herself look worst than Hart is. It's just one of those things that's part of life, get over it. I agree with who said that she's going to spend a lot of her money on this lawyer (Who I'm sure appreciates her paying for him public exposure, they all want that). I can't see her having a case.
FWBVol writes:
There's no doubt that the revenue generating sports on the men's side of the athletic program bring in more money than the revenue generating sports on the women's side.
Of course there is nothing that the women have that compares to football, which, as others have pointed out, is the cash cow for bothe men's and women's sports at Tennessee and most other universities.
The women's basketball team usually makes a small amount of money, but I'd be surprised if even softball, soccer and volleyball pay for themselves. I'd dare say if the women charged the same price as the men for basketball tickets they wouldn't sell as many tickets as they currently do.
The men's basketball program is the second biggest money maker to football. In good years the baseball team breaks even and turns a small profit to put back into the athletic department. Unfortunately, there haven't been any good years in baseball lately, but better days are on the way.
Whether the pay for itself argument holds water or not is a moot point. Title IX changed so many things for high school and college athletics. The SEC used to have several quality wrestling programs, but those programs became victims of gender equity as the women fielded rowing teams and the such.
Even in basketball the women are allowed more scholarships than the men to achieve gender equity.
I am all for women getting a fair shot in athletics, but not at the expense of young men that are trying for a fair shot as well.
I was a student assistant in the men's Sports Information Department in 1987-88. UT hosted the SEC swimming and diving meet that year and the men and women athletic departments were supposed to work together to host the meet. Getting Debby Jennings and her staff to help with anything media related was like having a root canal. All the efforts to put together the media packages and heat sheets for both men and women were generated in the men's SID, mostly by Bud Ford and myself. I had to stop what I was doing countless times to makes trips down the hall of Stokely to get things from Jennings and her staff that they wouldn't bother to bring us.
When the meet was completed and the SEC big wigs were handing out the kudos for a job well done by the UT athletic departments, Jennings and her staff almost knocked the men in the pool trying to grab the spotlight.
pms151 writes:
Sounds like you have a gender issue.
WetumpkaThumpa writes:
He has no bigger gender issue than Debby Jennings? She should be thankful she worked at a University with a budget big enough to pay her $94,000 a year to basically edit a Women's Basketball program. If she was anywhere else she wouldn't have been making that kind of cash. That goes for a MAN or WOMAN working her position. You think the "Women's Basketball Historian" at Auburn made that kind of money? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UTistheOLEMISSoftheEAST writes:
I still want to know where Debby got that shirt. Classic ut attire!
hcjournals#206623 writes:
Smooth this out.
newportvol writes:
So whats jennings saying Hart Forced Pat to retire? If that comes out He will be ran out of town.. But I have no clue who Jennings was or care.. But I do think Pat and only Pat should of made the decision about her retirement..
give_him_6 writes:
She was let go because she couldn't keep her mouth shut and her opinions to herself. You can't be a position of authority and be verbaly contradicting your boss. Just because she worked for a long time for Pat doesn't give her a free pass. She was making almost $100,000/year and now she's ruined that as well as any severence by hiring a lawyer. She better put her big girl panties on and face the facts...if she had been a better employee...she's probably still be around in some capacity. Lesson learned..the hard way!
volaholic45 writes:
Here's an idea: On Monday, give the boss some email hell - you know, challenge him/her on decisions that have nothing to do with you, question motives, etc.
Then, if the predictable happens, proclaim that you are being mistreated because you are male, female, black, white, latino, homosexual, heterosexual, old, overweight, whatever. But in the rollout of your big suit, float that because you love the company so much and are loath to see it suffer harm, you are open to an "amicable settlement" wink-wink.
See how that goes for you.
ColPhorbin writes:
I used to tolerate the LADY VOLS programs, but when I see the dreck that's been sittin up there riding this gravy train it sickens me, as does Debbie Jennings
Classof72 writes:
Hart is responsible for merging the men's and women's athletic depts. It's going very badly. Ford and Jennings may well litigate. The track program is merged into the ground. The women's basketball program may suffer from the Jennings situation. The football program crashed and burned at KY. It is going to practice at Milligan College, which is where it probably belongs right now.
Hart seems to think airing UTAD's dirty laundry in the front yard is a good idea. It isn't. Because FSU declined to renew Hart's contract, his resume probably wasn't good enough to be considered for the job he now has. Not every problem in UTAD is Hart's fault. But every problem there is his responsibility. He needs to do much better, and fast. The real problem may well lie with the person who hired Dave Hart.
chbradshaw writes:
Why wouldn't UT have had a student intern doing this person's work all these years?
She was paid $94,000 a year plus benefits for something someone at the Daily Beacon could have done.
Yeah...people around here like the Lady Vols and prefer that they win but very few really care that much.
What a waste of money this was. Thank you Dave Hart.
How many other Gloria Rays or Debby Jennings are out there feeding at the public trough while doing nothing of value?
feathersax writes:
Is it just me or is the Dave Hart pic a likeness of Mr. Spock (Star Trek)? LOGIC dictates he's gonna win, too.
tlallman writes:
What might be next in store for Jennings:
"Former University of Alabama cheerleading coach Debbie Greenwell, who recently filed a federal lawsuit against the school, was arrested Friday for first-degree theft of property and using her position for personal gain. An online court file indicates that Greenwell, 55, was indicted on June 28. She was arrested and released on a $25,000 bond. First-degree theft, defined as a theft of an amount exceeding $2,500, is a felony according to state law."
Hart fired her too.
eb502us#225637 writes:
Bottom line is that if UT wanted to fire her because they didn't like the color of her hair, they could have done so.
The discrimination complaint is a last ditch effort to try and take home one last check - and a big one at that.
In my book, her complaint = extortion.
SevenT writes:
W_D
"Trashy" is a perfect word to describe this type of person. The reports say Debby was the go to media person for the Lady Vols. If that is true why in the world would UT pick an poorly groomed, overweight, pickle skinned, obnoxious individual who dresses in mens clothing to be the media face of the Lady Vols? If this was the football program I would imagine they would find a tightly dressed Orange Pride girl with more "talent" to be a media handler.
Pullingguard writes:
What else does she want... A cushy job for over 30 years and a full retirement... Some people never realize when they have outlived their future contributions as seen by the new king of the hill... Move on Debbie the fat lady has sung, or does she sing?? Good question.
Huttdawg100 writes:
LOL....
rocky_topper writes:
I hope UT doesn't back down. Tell her to bring her 0.10 cent lawsuit and it will be shot down just as the previous suits were by Moshack and the other one that no one can remember the name!
Huttdawg100 writes:
I don't think he could force her out. Pat is too strong. I think she made the decision. Remember, one of the reasons FSU had for firing Hart was his refusal to fire a legendary coach.
CrankE writes:
Jennings = Summitt. And firing Jennings is like firing Summitt. At least that's what her media campaign would have you to believe. In the end, that's the only defense that she has. I've got bad news for her, it isn't working.
Why should UT mediate, arbitrate, or seek an amicable solution with a divisive, insubordinate employee whom they were ready to fire outright?
Perhaps she's bitter that she's not getting a big buyout package like Pearl, Hamilton, and every other turkey UT has sent packnig in recent years.
CoverOrange writes:
That he is fighting this out in the media and begging for mediation rather than threatening court means he hasn't got much to go to court with.
Do have to wonder what you got in your ear that you are hearing it so well.
CrankE writes:
If Hart was telling Summitt that she needed to step down, then he's doing his job. It was time and most everyone could see this.
As for Pat, SHE decided to step down. If she didn't want to, then nobody was going to make her. Perhaps she has more sense than Bobby Bowden. (even with the Alzheimers)
lahvolman2 writes:
Been reading these blogs for years and I have never seen Witch Doctor get this viral about anything...this person has really pushed his button wrong and from what I think he may know of this situation, rightfully so... don't think even Pat could have saved this " person " from what seems to be her inevitable fate... been busted a time or two myself for dissing higher ups... not good for your career or your checkbook...
jpark001 writes:
Underhill,
Don't mean to sound argumentative here but you have a financial report link to support you "more than support" claim to Flatrock?
Tennessee's financial filing with the NCAA (link below) says Women's basketball lost $1.7M+ for that year. Non-specific sports which would include both men's and women's non-revenue sports combined lost another $5.3M.
Further what’s not reflected in these numbers are the additional monies paid to the UT men’s and women’s coaches by sources other than UT itself (boosters, shoe companies) so the coaching salaries number in reality would be even greater if inserted.
Begs the obvious question that, if not accurate, why would UT purposely submit an inaccurate financial report to the NCAA knowing it would be FOIR and published by a news origination like the linked paper?
http://www2.indystar.com/NCAA_financi...
PeytonWM18 writes:
Orange pants, great post! You may want to remember what site you're on; however, and call a caveman a caveman. ;-)
You'd think none of the male knuckleheads in the UTAD ever had a mother the way they treat women. It's a disgrace to every person who has ever earned a degree from the Unitversity of Tennesse and each fan who has spent even one dollar supporting our current spineless, feeble, unaccomplished athletic-department regime.
The buck stopped for me ages ago. My financial support goes to our alumni and academic endeavors. The UTAD doesn't deserve one dime of my money; however, I fully support Pat and Tyler's foundation, as all true Lady Vols fans should.
God Bless the class and success of Pat Summitt. At least all UTK graduates, students and fans have her everlasting grace and legacy to hang our hats on when bragging about "our" university!
bmgvirgo#210233 writes:
You have no clue what you are talking about. Prior to this season, she was the WOMEN's SID. She had two FT staff members, plus GA's, but she was responsible for anything that came out of the women's athletic department. She was the director for ALL women's sports, not just basketball. That is what the $94K was about. Also, he tried forcing her out and OTHERS back in November. Almost anyone that had an allegiance to UT they have gotten rid of and now we have a bunch of non-caring hired guns working there. They could care less what comes about UT.
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