ITS BEEN A MONTH SINCE RUTGERS AGREED TO PAY OUT $2.8 MILLION AND MARK GRIFFIN IS STILL EMPLOYED AT THE UNIVERSITY! ACTION MUST BE TAKEN BY TAXPAYERS!
OUR VOICES NEED TO BE HEARD! UNIVERSITY OWES US AN EXPLANATION!!!!!
What do you call an Athletic Director who bans lesbian dating on a women’s basketball team, ignores coaches having sex with their players and child sex rapists on the men’s basketball team, uses homophobic, discriminatory and vulgar language when addressing student-athletes and staff? UNEMPLOYED in the real world but not at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
On June 7, 2023, parties involved in the Class Action Lawsuit Morris v. Rutgers signed a settlement agreement that awarded the plaintiffs $2.8 million. There is a plethora of information to review regarding this shocking conclusion to a case that lasted seven years. But what is equally remarkable is Rutgers’ never ending refusal to hold Mark Griffin accountable for anything that has happened in the athletics department.
As of today, he is still the Director of Athletics at Rutgers-Newark. Incomprehensible to say the least. You would think costing the University nearly $3 million plus its own astronomical legal fees would spell doom for the self-proclaimed “savior” of Scarlet Raider athletics. Not at good old Rutgers. RU RAH RAH! This institution has a knack of doubling down when it’s caught with a gas can at a fire.
In the society I grew up in, it’s wrong for anyone to be harassed because of their sexuality or color. It is wrong for coaches to use their power to force a student-athlete to have sex. What, in god’s name, are these people thinking at Rutgers? If you have followed this blog, you are well-aware of the alarming events that have taken place in this department.
Since 2014, Griffin has survived:
four internal investigations
one NCAA inquiry to investigate
three letters of reprimand from each of his supervisors
A scathing negative evaluation by his supervisor in 2015.
Numerous student-athletes who filed complaints of harassment, bullying and discrimination against coaches of women’s soccer and softball
A child rapist on the men’s basketball team (Elvis Hodzic)
A serious academic fraud case in the men’s soccer program (Fabio De Sousa).
A women’s soccer coach having sexual relations with a member of the team. (Billy Bustamante).
An assistant softball coach having a sexual relationship with a player in 2019.
Two assistant coaches having sex in the Golden Dome locker room, which was reportedly witnessed by a student-athlete.
A report filed in the Office of Employment Equity by a women’s soccer player detailing harassment by Griffin.
Now, Rutgers hands over $2.8 million simply to protect its brand and spare an insignificant, incompetent employee his job. He is permitted to remain the leader of student-athletes and corrupt coaches. Normally, this does not happen at Universities, EVER!
Student-athletes are someone’s child. Where are the parents? Where, frankly, are the former and current student-athletes? Is it that important to fulfill your dream of playing a sport in college to ignore the verbal and physical abuse that your classmates had to endure? Where is the staff? To turn a blind eye to this mentally handicapped leadership at 42 Warren Street is a moral crime. I had many conversations with staff members over my 17 years there. Trust me, they know. They have always known.
After numerous investigations, Griffin was cleared of all accusations, including those in the lawsuit, by the Rutgers Office of Employment Equity and the Ethics and Compliance Office.
“Doesn’t rise to the level of discrimination.”
“After investigation we found the accusations to be unsubstantiated.”
These are the “investigators” that stated in the report that it “is more likely than not” Coach Zasowski made homophobic and racial comments towards the female basketball players and that it was wrong for Griffin to do his own investigation of the student-athletes accusations. I have never heard of the University admitting the accusations are true and the defendant admitting guilt and no action is taken.
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the plaintiffs asked for $900,000. Rutgers countered with $550,000. Seven years later, the State University of New Jersey paid out more than five times that amount. Why the sudden urge to settle with the trial set for October? Putting Griffin on the stand would have been devastating. His deposition was a collection of lies. It revealed what I knew for a long time, Griffin lacks integrity, PERIOD.
It is time for the public taxpayers to demand an explanation from President Holloway and the University administration.
There have been over 12,000 views of this blog since its inception in April 2022. Now readers have to act. We cannot wait any longer! This has been long overdue. I am urging everyone to join this effort in pursuit of justice. We, the taxpayers, paid to protect Mark Griffin. We, the taxpayers, fund an athletic department that contributes little if anything to the University.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
LET’S FIGHT TOGETHER! WE CANNOT CONDONE THIS ANY LONGER! NO STUDENT SHOULD HAVE TO ENDURE THE DANGEROUS ACTIONS AT THE GOLDEN DOME!
HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Share this blog with at least 10 members of your family, friends and professional colleagues. Encourage ‘likes’ and ‘comments’. Post the link on social media. GET THE WORD OUT!
Contact the decision-makers at the University via email or phone to express your concern that your taxes are paying for Rutgers’ cover-up of corruption and incompetence.
University President Jonathan Holloway - president@rutgers.edu 848-932-7454
Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor -nancy.cantor@rutgers.edu 973-353-5541
Newark Senior Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs and Chief of Staff Peter Englot - peter.englot@rutgers.edu, 973-353-5541
Newark Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs Corlisse Thomas - corlisse.thomas@rutgers.edu 973-353-5541.
Senior Vice President and General Counsel John Hoffman - Phone848-932-7697
Sign the petition by clicking here FIRE MARK GRIFFIN
Discourage family, friends and colleagues from sending their son or daughter to play sports at Rutgers Newark until new leadership is in place.
DO NOT PATRONIZE RUTGERS NEWARK SPONSORS UNTIL THEY DENOUNCE THE CORRUPTION.
Michael V’s Caterers, 201 Washington Ave., Belleville, NJ, 973-759-7748, Mvern1104@aol.com
La Cocina, 61 New Sr. Newark, NJ, 973-856-6777
Robert’s Pizza, 63 New St., Newark, NJ, 973-642-0082
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Corporate Office, 3 Penn Plaza Eas, Newark, NJ, 973-466-4000
Heron Glen Golf Course, 120 State Highway 202 & 31, Ringoes, NJ, 908-806-6804, General Manager Tim Ward, tward@kempersports.com
Academy Bus, CEO Francis Tedesco, 111 Paterson Ave, Hoboken, NJ, (201) 420-7000 ext. 2290, francis@academybus.com
ALUMNI - Do not make any donations to the Rutgers Newark Athletic Department. Do not participate in or support any fundraising venture sponsored by the department including the golf outing. Do not participate in any alumni games or outings.
You are either part of the solution or part of the problem. Join me in making a difference.
You can email me at courageandacause@proton.me.