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THE DAILY ILLINI The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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Vol. 145 Issue 47
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A change UI to vote on Salaita settlement Thursday in culture BY ABIGALE SVOBODA NEWS EDITOR
Where Illinois athletics goes from here
PETER BAILEY-WELLS
THE DAILY ILLINI
The Board of Trustees is expected to vote on a possible settlement with Steven Salaita at the board’s meeting in Chicago on Thursday. The vote to authorize a settlement was listed as part of the roll call agenda for the board’s Nov. 12 meeting, which was released Monday.
According to the agenda, the settlement will be presented to the Board as a whole. It has not been fi nalized. At the Senate Executive meeting Monday, Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson said the settlement would be discussed Thursday but said she could not say more. Tom Hardy, University spokesman, said there
is “not much to say” but the item will be finalized before the meeting Thursday. The University has been involved in a lawsuit with Salaita since Jan. 29, when Salaita fi led suit in the Northern District of Illinois, alleging the University violated his right to academic freedom and caused intentional emotional distress.
Salaita’s suit named former chancellor Phyllis Wise, former president Robert Easter, former Board of Trustees chairman Chris Kennedy, Vice President for Academic Affairs Christophe Pierre and unnamed donors. He is seeking the job for which he was originally hired and
SEE SALAITA | 3A
Sports editor
M
ike Thomas was inevitably going to get fired. It was simply a matter of when, not if. Even despite Thomas’ relative innocence in relation to the abusive actions of Tim Beckman — as described in Franczek Radelet’s report — Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson dismissed him from the University. She cited the DIA’s need for a “change in leadership.” How about a change in culture? I don’t mean paying lip service to a change in culture but actually changing the way administrators, coaches and student-athletes approach Illinois sports. The University will eventually hire a head football coach and athletic director who’ll bring a new era of leadership to a school with a lot of “interims” in important positions right now. But even if they hire “the right man/woman for the job” the University might still totally miss the point here. The point is that for the success of the athletic department, the administrators must look to the student-athletes — not donors, coaches or fans — for direction. The University owes an apology to Simon Cvijanovic, Nick North and many of the players that came out with abuse allegations directed at Beckman in the spring. The University’s direct representative, its athletic director, stood behind its coach, rather than supporting the young adults who were claiming physical and emotional abuse at the hands of a man twice their age. The University owes an apology to the current Illini football players — especially the seniors — who have had to endure this debacle during their season and who were hung out to dry on social media in the spring, supporting a coach who they didn’t know was really a horrible person. Wilson said Thomas didn’t do anything wrong but that the athletics issues had become “a distraction.” Don’t be confused by that, Thomas was a scapegoat, plain and simple. Both he and Wilson seem to understand that someone needed to take the fall for what happened in the last six months. So going forward, get rid of the “good old boy culture” that thrives at Illinois. It’s racist, sexist and ignorant. Who cares if you can raise a lot of money and schmooze with the big boosters? Not the kids on the field. Don’t hire another coach who is going to call his players “pussies” and “bitches.” Don’t hire trainers that won’t support student-athletes’ mental and physical health. Maybe Bill Cubit is the guy. He was cleared of any and all wrongdoing in the Franczek Radelet investigation. He nearly choked up during Monday’s press conference when he announced that Jihad Ward had been selected for the Senior Bowl. But it doesn’t matter who the next head coach is and who the next athletic director is, they better listen to their players. The resignation of the president of the University of Missouri is a pretty clear indication that student-athletes have a voice, and when it is exercised, it can be a powerful tool for good and for bad. So remember where you went wrong, University administration. It doesn’t behoove the University to shunt its studentathletes to the side in favor of the guys making $1.5 million a year and getting $2.5 million in a contract buyout. On Monday, Cubit was the one who said it best — regardless of his association with Illinois going forward. “If we can be good people, golly … We have a chance.”
MIKE THOMAS OUT THE DAILY ILLINI
Athletic Director agrees to part ways with the University BY PETER BAILEY-WELLS SPORTS EDITOR
After several player accusations of mistreatment, lawsuits and swirling debate on the state of Illinois athletics, Athletic Director Mike Thomas’ years with the University are over. Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson announced Monday that the University would be exercising the “without cause” separation clause in Thomas’ contract in a Massmail to students, faculty and staff. Wilson said there are no findings of misconduct on Thomas’ part, “In order to move forward and put the focus of the athletics program back on the success of student-athletes, a change in leadership is needed.” Interim head coach Bill Cubit and new assistant coaches were found free of wrongdoing in the report. Former Illinois football player Simon Cvijanovic said that Cubit attempted to convince him to stop taking anti-anxiety medi-
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CUBIT’S REACTION
“If I take away from how our kids fight then I’m not doing my job.” Page 1B
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The top takeaways from the review of Illini athletics Page 1B
SEE THOMAS | 3A
Paul Kowalczyk will serve as the interim athletic director after Thomas departure athletic budget and the University is exercising the “without cause” separation clause in Thomas’ contract. Coaches from all Illini sports were in attendance including women’s basketball head coach Matt Bollant, men’s gymnastics Justin Spring and women’s gymnastics Kim Landrus. Dee Brown and other athletic administrators were in attendance as well. Wilson and Kowalczyk said they would be meeting with the Illini head coaches Monday and Tuesday. Kowalczyk has been with Illinois since 2012. He previously served as director of athletics at Colorado State University and Southern Illinois University, but never as an interim athletic director. He will be making $295,000 in his new position. He was previously earning $140,595 as senior associate athletic director. When asked about the future of the football program, both Wilson and Kowalczyk said they would be waiting until the end of the season to make decisions regarding head coach Bill Cubit. Both praised Cubit’s progress with the team.
BY CHARLOTTE CARROLL STAFF WRITER
Illinois’ typical Monday football routine started a bit earlier and with a few different faces. The University released the results of the independent reports of the Illinois sports medicine and football programs investigations and in turn announced the dismissal of Athletic Director Mike Thomas. Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson and Interim Athletic Director Paul Kowalczyk spoke at the press conference about the investigation and the future of Illinois athletics. Thomas and former Chancellor Phyllis Wise commissioned an independent investigation of the program, conducted by Chicago law firm Francek Radelet. Wilson said the final report was given to the University last week — she has been talking with Thomas since then. She said the report found no misconduct on Thomas’ part. Wilson added she was the one who brought up the idea of Thomas stepping down and that he was “gracious” about the decision. The buyout for Thomas is $2.5 million dollars, coming from the
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Beckman released a statement through his lawyer Monday night refuting the report’s findings. In his statement, Beckman said he never meant to intentionally put players in harm’s way. In regards to scholarships, Beckman said that the University governed the withdrawal and release of scholarships. The statement also reiterated that Beckman was confident in his coaching methods during his time at Illinois. “During his tenure as the head football coach at the University of Illinois, coach Tim Beckman always acted first and foremost with the well-being and safety of his players in mind,” the statement read. “He categorically rejects any conclusion to the contrary contained within the University of Illinois’ report on “Injury Management and Scholarship Renewal.” In the weeks following Cvijan-
Wilson introduces new athletic director
Peter is a junior in Media. baileyw2@dailyillini.com @pbaileywells
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cation to improve his football performance prior to the 2014 season. Cubit said Cvijanovic had complained about stomach issues and other impediments to his performance during Camp Rantoul, which the Cvijanoivc believed stemmed from his medication. Cubit shared personal experiences about one of his family members who took similar medication as a way to advise Cvijanovic’s decision — the report said Cubit put the decision entirely in Cvijanovic’s hands. The trouble for Thomas began in late May when Cvijanovic took to Twitter to voice his unhappiness with former head football coach Tim Beckman and the athletic department as a whole. Accusations followed from other former football players, which prompted Thomas and Chancellor Phyllis Wise to commission an independent investigation of the program. Thomas fired Beckman on Aug. 28.
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“He wants to know his fate more than anyone else in room,” Kowalczyk said. The report cleared women’s basketball coach Bollant of any wrongdoings. He was confident in the future of his team and the players. “The personal (aspect) is really hard,” Bollant said. “I love Mike Thomas. He’s been great through all of this and he’s been good with me, I had opportunities at several BCS schools and I chose to come
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Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson addresses media at Memorial Stadium after the University fired Athletic Director Mike Thomas on Monday.
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to Illinois partly because of Mike Thomas.” While Wilson and Kowalczyk answered questions about the investigation, there was also talk about the future of projects started by Thomas, including the possible revamping of the South End Zone of Memorial Stadium and State Farm Center rehabilitation. But Kowalczyk said he doesn’t
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