[Vision2020] assistant football coach/"disturbing the peace"

[Tom Hansen]

>From Friday's UI Argonaut -

Before rumors spread and people run off at the mouth, let's read the
article, ok?

There is obviously a lot more to it than Ms. Gray would like you to believe.
For one thing, the review committee consisted of three members (none of
which were from the Athletic Department).

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Committee: No action against Brice

By Nate Poppino
Assistant News Editor

Assistant football coach to keep his position after pleading guilty to
disturbing the peace last fall

An independent review committee has concluded no disciplinary action should
be taken by the University of Idaho against assistant football coach Alundis
Brice.

The three-member committee, formed by UI President Tim White, was charged
with making a recommendation about Brice's employment at UI after his
conviction last November of maliciously disturbing the peace.

White was out of town and unable to comment on the decision.

Brice pled guilty to the charge as part of a plea deal to drop a misdemeanor
charge of exhibition of a deadly weapon. The charge stemmed from an Aug. 15,
2004, incident in which he allegedly pointed a 9 mm pistol at UI senior
Cameron Ryffel in the parking lot of CJ's bar.

Brice said the incident resulted from an argument over his car.

He served four days in jail, paid a $325 fine and forfeited the gun.

The committee was unanimous in its decision Tuesday and also recommended
"the UI administration support efforts to re-establish Mr. Brice's good
standing in the UI campus community."

The committee members were interim UI Provost Linda Morris, UI chair of
biological sciences Larry Forney and Michael Tate, vice president for Equity
and Diversity at Washington State University. Both Morris and Forney refused
comment, while Tate was unavailable as of Thursday.

Ryffel, a justice major, said he was "disappointed" by the news and unaware
the committee even existed.

"Why should the administration help Brice get his good name back? That
surprised me," Ryffel said.

After Ryffel asked if there was some way to appeal the decision, UI media
relations officer Nancy Hilliard said that according to the university's
legal counsel, only Brice can appeal.

"It was a committee recommendation on a personnel action, not a legal
action. The only person who could appeal is Alundis Brice," Hilliard said.
"Students can still write letters and things. We 

UI Athletic Department director Rob Spear said the university has followed
through on its original promise to consider disciplinary action.

"We said from the beginning if Alundis was found guilty of what he was
originally charged we would take corrective actions. Thankfully that
changed," Spear said.

Brice, Spear said, has learned his lesson from his court punishments.

"I think he paid a dear price by staying in jail," Spear said. "That was a
humbling experience for him."

Spear would not say whether a coach behaving like Brice did toward students
is appropriate, saying that because the committee cleared Brice the question
was irrelevant.

Some UI students said Thursday that Brice should have faced some sort of
disciplinary punishment for his actions.

Freshman Darren Posey, a professional golf management major, said Brice's
actions were not appropriate.

"I'd say he'd be more limited. He shouldn't be fired, but should have less
responsibility," Posey said.

"I think he should have faced something. It could have been a fine or
something, maybe lose a couple days' pay," said chemical engineering
sophomore Jesse Bazley.

Bazley said UI should not fire Brice, however.

"Just because somebody messes up doesn't mean he shouldn't work here,"
Bazley said. "If he'd done it in the past, then maybe."

In January, ASUI passed a resolution asking for Brice's resignation as a
result of the conviction. Sen. Elizabeth Bento said the resolution did not
question Brice's character, but was based on his actions in the incident.

This is the first year Brice has been the cornerbacks coach at UI. Before
getting the job, he spent five years playing for the Dallas Cowboys, during
which the team won a Super Bowl. He also spent two years as a secondary
coach for the University of Mississippi, his alma mater.

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Take care, Moscow.

Tom Hansen

We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are
dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors....but they all
exist very nicely in the same box. 


-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Debbie Gray
Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2005 7:55 PM
To: Vision 2020
Subject: [Vision2020] assistant football coach/"disturbing the peace"

Is anyone else concerned about the UI assistant football coach who pointed
a 9mm pistol at a UI senior last August? An "independent review committee"
concluded that no disciplinary action would be taken against him by the
UI.

What kind of message is that sending??? I can't imagine any other UI
employee getting away with that with not even a slap on the wrist. Let's
imagine if the Provost did this, or a Dean or a custodian or anybody but a
football coach... it's ridiculous.

Debbie

%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%
  Debbie Gray      dgray at uidaho.edu
  We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
  so as to have the life that is waiting for us." --Joseph Campbell
%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%

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