COVER-UP OF COACH/PLAYER RELATIONSHIP DEFINES THE RUTGERS NEWARK ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT (part 2)
IF THE TRUTH DOESN'T WORK, JUST MAKE SOMETHING UP
We all know someone in our personal or professional lives who makes a habit of lying. The reason for the untruthfulness varies but one thing has been proven by psychologists, if you continue to lie, you start believing its the truth.
The calculated plan to not tell the truth in the aforementioned coach/player sexual affair is just an example of the habitual lying by Mark Griffin. For over a decade, fabricating an alternate reality has been used to cover-up corruption, protect his hand-picked posse and keep the truth away from the campus administration. It is well thought out, planned and implemented with absolute precision. Again, when he lies to his staff, supervisors, student-athletes and their parents, he is consciously aware that they are lies.
According to Psychology Today magazine, Deception refers to the act—big or small, cruel or kind—of encouraging people to believe information that is not true. Lying is a common form of deception—stating something known to be untrue with the intent to deceive.
In other words, lies are told to steer you away from the truth. It forces you to take another direction with the information that you received. That direction drifts you further away from the truth.
Griffin lied about the sexual affair between a coach and player. Its a very serious matter, one that can get someone fired. He lied to simply cover his ass. He is a habitual liar who actually believes he is being truthful. Those people are the most dangerous.
I was lied to many times, so were my players and their parents. What he didn’t know was that, to a person, we all knew he was lying. In 2018, the baseball parents were very upset that their sons did not have a home field for the second consecutive year. The stadium situation was a mess so we were playing conference home games away, many non-conference contests on the road and some “home” games at other college fields. The parents were so outraged, they contacted the chancellor’s office numerous times.
Upon returning from our California Spring trip in March of that year, I met with Griffin about the field situation. The conversation quickly turned to the parents. He told me that the campus administration thought it was my fault. “Corlisse (Thomas) and Peter (Englot) think you are the ring leader in all of this,” he said. “But I told them 'Rizzi wouldn’t do that.” Never did Griffin go out of his way to support me or the baseball program so I knew this was a blatant lie.
A few days later, Sports Media Relations Director Rob Kulish and Assistant Athletic Director Mike Alvarez told me they were in a meeting with Griffin and Associate Athletic Director Mary Stadelmann to discuss where to play home games, and Griffin said, “I think Rizzi is behind all of this.” I believe that is exactly what he said to administration. The truth is always revealed.
How can anyone work for a boss who chooses to lie to a subordinate’s face rather than confront the issue head on? When I met with Corlisse Thomas on Monday, April 23, 2018 at around 4:30 p.m. in her office, she denied ever saying that. Her reaction was, “We just want to stop the parent phone calls to the Chancellor’s Office and you are not helping matters.” I will get into this in a later blog. You will not believe the pathetically unprofessional comments that were made to me.
While I was reading Griffin’s depositions, I was floored by how many times he lied. I know he lied, Everyone knows he lied. How can an administrator at a National University be so untruthful, under oath no less, and still be employed? I expected the arrogance and deliberate attack on those who did not show absolute loyalty to him but it never ceases to amaze me how conceited and pompous this man is. There is not enough space in this blog to document every untruth or fabrication but here is one of each:
LIES, LIES, LIES
In Griffin’s January 10, 2020 deposition, Griffin denies talking to another coach about another coach’s firing. This is false. In 2013, Griffin told men’s basketball coach Joe Loughran, “You know who better start fucking winning around here, Rizzi.” This was in reference to my potential firing if I do not win. I confronted Griffin about this comment. He had no reaction. He didn’t even deny it. Just a side note, two years prior we finished third in the NJAC and just missed getting an NCAA at-large bid so its just another example of his ignorance.
He talks to everyone about everyone. There is no question the job status of coaches was discussed with his posse. He blasted former Patti Clark to me in various meetings and even his boss, Gerald Massenburg would make comments to me about Clark’s inability to recruit. This unprofessional, toxic culture permeated throughout the department.
HE IS A HABITUAL LIAR WHO USED HIS LIES TO PROTECT HIMSELF AND DESTROY THE STAFF MEMBERS WHO “WEREN’T IN HIS CORNER!”
LET’S JUST MAKE UP A STORY
In the same deposition, Griffin tried to bury former women’s basketball coach Kevin Morris, by concocting an outlandish story that seemed to be made up while he was telling it. He accused Morris of not caring about his players. Think again about the fact that this man is a Director of Athletics and he has no problem throwing current and former staff members under the bus. Remember, it was told to me years ago, he is a very vindictive person and will retaliate.
As you read the deposition, you will discover that there are no facts. He doesn’t know the year nor the student-athlete. He is not even positive of the reason why they “met” with the student.
According to Morris, this never happened.
“I think it might have been suicidal.” said Griffin. HE THINKS? Being absolutely positive is necessary when accusing a coach of ignoring the welfare of a student-athlete. Morris once spoke with Griffin and Stadelmann about a player not showing up for practice. He was concerned about her well-being. I don’t know a coach in this world who would NOT be concerned about a player who allegedly is suicidal. Is it possible for a person to stoop this low to makeup a story about a person in danger of committing suicide to attack an adversary? DISGUSTING! We will hear from Morris in a future blog about the constant attack he was under in the department.
On September 10, 2014, The Office of Employment Equity published an Investigative Report regarding complaints against Griffin of alleged Violation of the Rutgers University Policy Prohibiting Discrimination and Harassment.
In the report, Griffin admitted to making the following comments:
These comments are shocking. Not one human being on this earth believes he meant “happy” when he said gay. People in today’s culture do not use this language. When asked, “do you believe that’s what he meant?” by one of the accusers, the investigator said, “NO!”
Four days later, in an Observer (Rutgers-Newark student newspaper) article dated October 14, 2014 regarding these accusations of harassment and discrimination, Griffin denied making these comments.
He purposefully lied about making these comments to the Rutgers Newark community. The arrogance in his quotes are so revealing. He believes what he says. He is a master of manipulating the truth, of setting his own narrative. He doubles down by pairing himself up with the University by stating their common goals.
What’s even more astonishing is that the campus administrators mostly reserved comment based on the fact that this investigation was a personnel matter. But Griffin not only volunteered information about the investigation but also decided to deny all allegations, even though the report was already completed, rather than say, “No comment.”
University administrators Peter Englot, Gerald Massenburg and Lisa Grosskreutz offered very little to no information about the allegations and investigation.
But wait, that’s not all. If you go back to my explanation of the odd relationship between Tweedle Dee (Griffin) and Tweedle Dum (men’s soccer Kevin East), you will not be surprised by this:
“Ive never heard him say anything like that,” said East. Interesting since the rest of us had. The men’s soccer coach confirms there is an investigation. Think about it, the top administrators on campus were interviewed and offered little comment but the men’s soccer coach, Griffin’s buddy and highest paid coach in the department, offered his take on a very serious situation.
I was working in the department at this time. This was hush, hush. The staff never received any updates on the progress of the investigation nor its findings. I was interviewed as part of the investigation. I was never notified of any findings. Its against University policy. But Kevin East knew what was going on.
“My understanding is that there was an internal investigation and everything was cleared.” proclaimed East. I get sick to my stomach everytime I read this. Who is he to comment on a highly-sensitive situation?
He was permitted by the following administrators to make this comment:
Provost Todd Clear
Senior Vice-Chancellor, Peter Englot
Associate Chancellor for Student Affairs Gerald Massenburg
Director of Employment Equity Lisa Grosskreutz
Athletic Director Mark Griffin
Associate Athletic Director Mary Stadelmann
The corruption, lack of oversight and accountability and genuine lack of integrity exists up the administrative ladder. Only at Rutgers Newark would a coach be permitted to comment on an internal Investigation citing allegations of harassment and discrimination regarding his supervisor without reprimand, or discipline.
Lying to the Rutgers Newark community is unacceptable. The administration already had the report when the Observer story was published but they did not hold Griffin accountable at all. To show how arrogant this man is, he ordered all the copies of the newspaper to be removed from the Golden Dome. How vain can a human being actually be?
We can go on and on discussing why he gets away with all his digressions, corruption and illegalities. The bottom line is the campus administration does not pay any attention to athletics. Hence, the result.
ITS NOT THE LYING THAT BOTHERS ME, ITS THE INSULT TO MY INTELLIGENCE THAT I FIND OFFENSIVE
Does he actually think people are stupid? Does he honestly believe he is smarter than everyone else? Of course. Its a classic trait in a narcissist. I am better than all of you. I know whats best, you don’t.
One of the most disturbing incidents I ever encountered in the department took place in November 2013. Tabitha Davis was a freshmen student-athlete who just completed a volleyball season and now turned to her “best” sport, basketball. After five days, according to head coach Kevin Morris and Davis herself, she decided not to play. Morris, was disappointed, but understood and wished Davis well. After informing Mary Stadelmann that Davis was no longer on the team, Griffin told Morris to call Davis and tell her to come to the first scrimmage anyway. “Just have her sit on the bench tonight,” said Griffin. “I don’t care if she sits there in jeans. We’ll just say she’s on the team.” Morris fought back but eventually had to give in. When Morris contacted Davis, she responded, “Why would I do that, I’m not on the team. I’m already home, I don’t feel well and I have homework.”
This was all about Griffin’s roster “mandate” of 15 for women’s basketball. This is a story within itself and will be addressed later. Not only was he willing to lie but he wanted a coach to lie as well. Why is this so disturbing? Besides being illegal, immoral and shows a complete lack of character, it also, once again, contradicts Griffin’s mantra, “I always do what’s best for the student-athletes.” How does this help Tabitha Davis? Remember there is an Associate Athletic Director at Rutgers Newark, Mary Stadelmann, but she has no backbone. She goes along with everything Griffin does and condones the frequent abusive, harassing and discriminatory language that spews out of his mouth.
Imagine this scenario in a “normal” athletic department at a reputable University? I have met many athletic administrators throughout the country. I can’t think of one who would do something like this. The lack of morality and integrity is mind-blowing. When Griffin demanded that players, coaches and even officials be included in attendance at home basketball games to inflate the numbers, you have to wonder, is this diabolical or just plain stupidity? There is no scenario where Griffin would not lie, deceive or fabricate stories for his benefit.
How can he get away with these childish antics? To find the answer, just look at campus leadership. This group is clueless. Lack of accountability is always the reason. They are not ignorant. They are very accomplished educators. However, they have no experience supervising unethical characters.
I never bought into Griffin’s charade. None of the staff did. They just play the game, keep peace, and try to keep their jobs. They know the department is fueled by lies, deception and above all, functions without integrity, morality and honesty. I’m a good judge of character but I’m much better in identifying characters. I had Griffin pegged from Day 1.
As we move forward, I would like to thank all the readers of this blog. The positive reaction I have received has been overwhelming. Your interest has been much-appreciated. Its important to forward this to five of your colleagues, family or friends so I can expand the readership. Only public outrage will force changes in Rutgers Newark Athletics.
There is plenty more to expose. I’m still puzzled why campus leadership is still intact. However, the lack of action by the University drives me to charge forward.