(Note: In case you are just coming into this story, here’s some video background:)
UPDATE: Petrino Will Not Challenge Firing; Dorrell Placed On Leave
The Details
Now, according to a series of Twitter Tweets issued by the KFSM/KXNW TV News Director in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the University of Arkansas responded to a Freedom Of Information Act request by the news organization, and released a lot of documents, including all 159 resumes of those people who applied for the position that Dorrell was “hand-picked” to fill by Bobby Petrino, who was already her lover for months it seems, and who had already given her $20,000, for some still unknown reason.
Dorrell applied for the Player Development Coordinator position on March 9th, and started the job March 28th. On April 1st, she and Petrino were involved in the now famous motorcycle crash. Petrino tried to cover-up Dorrell’s involvement in it, until the police report containing news that she was his passenger on the motorcycle surfaced last Thursday.
What The Records Show
Interestingly, and obviously to cover-up their relationship, Dorrell had two references: Bev Lewis of the athletic department and Sean Rochelle of the Razorback Foundation. Fields references were Petrino, Garrick McGee and the person who previously held the job, Dann Kabala. And Ben Wilkerson’s references include Les Miles, Nick Saban, Jimbo Fisher, Will Muschamp and Derek Dooley.
Larry Henry, Managing Editor at 5NEWS KFSM/KXNW TV, added more information via Twitter @5NEWSLarry. Henry explains that Mark Robinson, director of football operations, added Dorrell’s name for the job just one day before she interviewed.
Mr. Henry also paints a records-based picture of a much better qualified Ben Wilkerson. Wilkerson, who’s black, played for The Atlanta Falcons and The Cincinnati Bengals, and, like Dorrell, has a Masters Degree, but from LSU, where he played and went to college.
The job called for two years in a football program – something Dorrell did not have. Wilkerson played for Bobby Petrino and Mike Smith while with the Falcons. At the time, Wilkerson was Football Graduate Assistant Coach at LSU, but as of April 2nd, landed the offensive line coaching job at Grambling.
In defense of Dorrell, according to ESPN:
Someone — it was not clear who — also wrote in the interview feedback section of Dorrell: “She has a natural networking ability who can communicate to coaches, student-athletes and donors. Out of the three (finalist) candidates, Jessica has the most overall experience of building relationships that the football program is looking for.”
Dorrell Expected To Follow Ethical Standards
The offer letter given to Jessica Dorrell read that “You should be aware that you will be accountable for and must abide by U of A, SEC and NCAA rules and regulations,” and that she was expected to “uphold ethical standards appropriate to your position.” The offer letter also had four complimentary tickets for each home football game and two comp tickets for all other sports home games, according to the KFSM/KXNW TV News Director.
A Thought By This Blogger
In 1991, I applied and was interviewed for a position with a municipal public finance organization that also employed a drinking friend of mine. He, and the staff, were white. When I left the interview, which I thought went well, I saw a white woman wearing a really short skirt waiting in the next room, and realized she was also going for the same job.
About two months later, after not hearing back from the organization, I ran into him at The Golden Bear in Oakland, the bar we both frequented and is now called Room 389. I told him I saw a woman and described her; he said “Yeah, we went with the legs.”
Note: Thanks to Larry Henry of 5News TV Fayetteville, Arkansas for his help.