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The Ohio State University Marching Band (TBDBITL)

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MD Buckeye said:
News Radio 610 WTVN ‏@610wtvnnews
BREAKING: Lawyers for former OSU Band Director Jon Waters have formally requested a meeting of the Bd. of Trustees for reinstatement.
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I should have taken the under on my date. This could be his death.

Mind you, if it is, I don't think it's a bad thing. The way this has been handled scares the crap out of me. Drake is not.a.good.hire. /story.
 
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Usually these things end poorly for the underlings.
Power brokers show solidarity in these kind of situations... regardless of the rationale or anything else.
Can't help but see them backing Drake, unless there are lawsuits that have a high potential for success brought against the University.
I don't know what the basis for hypothetical lawsuits would be, their projected success, nor am I advising or wishing for that to happen. But that's the only way I see Waters getting anything out of Drake.

It does severely weaken Drake's position going forward, however. Even if the board backs him unanimously as a form of solidarity they will all have doubts about his competency.
 
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Dryden said:
I suspect that it's just an illusion of control largely attributed to Gordon Gee's pragmatism and ability to recognize that on-field success is always a net positive for school spirit or state pride or whatever you choose to call it. Institutions like Ohio State can harness that for tremendous financial benefit by drawing on ticket sales, merchandise sales, and even donations from non-alumni all over the world that just happen to like one of the sports teams. If there was one thing Gee did better than anything else it was engender so much pride in people they'd open their wallets.

For as long as there have been academic and athletic sides, and well-heeled boosters, donors, and federal grants, everybody covets the money the other guys getting and thinks they could spend it better. When everybody gets a little bit of the sugar, it soothes tensions.

It's like when the people in my processing department get new computers; all the account managers get pissed they're stuck with the computers they just got last year. Then when we drop five-figures to renovate 600 sq feet of space to make private offices for the account managers, everyone in marketing is pissed their spaces aren't renovated. For fucks sake, if I buy one new laser printer I've got to buy five just because saving $4000 isn't worth the petty fucking backstabbing.

I bet right now people in cancer research laboratories all over the world are pissed off they didn't think up "ice bucket challenges."
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The government works in much the same way. And if you want to think about it, all bureaucracies do and Ohio State is no different. Everyone wants a piece of the pie someone else is getting.
 
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MD Buckeye said:
News Radio 610 WTVN ‏@610wtvnnews
BREAKING: Lawyers for former OSU Band Director Jon Waters have formally requested a meeting of the Bd. of Trustees for reinstatement.
Click to expand...

“I strenuously object?” Is that how it’s done? Hm? “Objection, your Honor!” “Overruled” “No, no. I STRENUOUSLY object.” “Oh! You strenuously object. Then I’ll take some time and reconsider.”
 
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So, in a situation like this, is Waters team looking to set up a wrongful termination suit? Can he, as a member of (presumably) no protected class, have a case in an employment at will state?

Interesting to watch how this plays out.
 
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Bucknut24 said:
just a thought that ran through my head....does anyone think any idiots during the Va Tech game (first home game) will try to boo the band when they march out?
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I hope not. It'll be the first major event of Drake's tenure so they'll probably introduce him between the 1st and 2nd quarters. Boo him directly instead.
 
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Bucknut24 said:
just a thought that ran through my head....does anyone think any idiots during the Va Tech game (first home game) will try to boo the band when they march out?
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The crowd will cheer the band (as usual), but, if introduced, Michael Drake may get the "Gene Smith Treatment", as in he'll receive some boos for the remainder of his tenure. I don't think they'll introduce Michael Drake during the game though (I hope OSU doesn't).
 
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sparcboxbuck said:
So, in a situation like this, is Waters team looking to set up a wrongful termination suit? Can he, as a member of (presumably) no protected class, have a case in an employment at will state?

Interesting to watch how this plays out.
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I could be wrong, but I think different rules apply with civil servants / tenure / etc. not sure if he falls under any of those categories though.
 
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kujirakira said:
I could be wrong, but I think different rules apply with civil servants / tenure / etc. not sure if he falls under any of those categories though.
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I would think that the university has a separate contract for faculty members and yes there is a union for professors - AAUP, don't know if Waters belonged, but they'd give him legal counsel if he did. The question of firing on a flawed report that followed two positive reviews would be a fertile field for a law suit I would think.

Where's ORD on this? Or maybe he's too close to the situation to comment. The stone walling of this issue by Drake and the BOT leads me to conclude: a) that they think they have the stronger case b) that they didn't anticipate Water's popularity c) that they thought the report would convince the public d) that I want to see Drake's evaluation report at the end of the year.
 
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I don't know about the Board, but Drake seems to be a textbook reactionary autocrat... those types don't back down unless it comes from above and then they back peddle real quick.
Personally I'd guess that the Board stands behind him for no other reason than to maintain a sense of competency and control; but will silently question his judgment in the future.
 
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