The University of Michigan Board of Regents does not plan to discuss the investigation into the school’s athletic department or the future of its athletic director, according to the meeting agenda posted online.
But that doesn’t mean the future of Athletic Director Warde Manuel won’t arise.
The eight regents could make a last-minute adjustment to the agenda. Under the board’s rules, “any regent may propose any subject or subjects for consideration and action.”
The regents and President Domenico Grasso also are able to speak on any issue during their comment period. And pressure is mounting for them to say something after days of speculation over the future of Manuel amid a nearly $12 million investigation into the “culture” of the athletic department he has presided over for nearly a decade.
Any employment action involving Manuel likely wouldn’t appear on the agenda. The board is not technically responsible for hiring and firing an athletic director. That responsibility falls squarely on the president, Domenico Grasso. Manuel didn’t deny that buyout offers had been on the table in a Tuesday morning interview with WTKZ 1050-AM.
Manuel has overseen four national championships and a litany of scandals and questionable behavior by coaches and athletic department staff during his tenure. The most recent scrutiny of his leadership came after former head football coach Sherrone Moore was fired for lying about having an affair with his assistant, Paige Shiver.
This incident sparked the regents to expand a previously authorized investigation into rumors about the relationship. The expanded probe looked at the entirety of the athletic department to determine whether it had a culture problem and what could be done to improve it.
The regents do not need to discuss the investigation, and the university may not be required to release the results or the findings. Attorney-client privilege could be cited to shield the investigation’s findings, although the university could waive the privilege at any time.
“Documents related to these attorney-directed investigations are privileged and confidential and protected by attorney-client privilege,” said Paul Corliss, UM’s assistant vice president for Public Affairs and Internal Communications in an email. “Maintaining the confidentiality of these documents preserves the integrity of the investigative process, protects the privacy of those who participated and helps safeguard those individuals from potential retaliation.”
Shiver, Moore’s former assistant, recently sued the university for allegedly withholding records related to its investigation into Moore and “wrongfully denied” six requests for records. She is alleging that among these records are emails between Manuel and Moore regarding an abortion Shiver said she had when she was pregnant with Moore’s baby.
The board plans to meet at the Delmar Hotel in Traverse City at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. A livestream of the meeting is expected to be available.
satwood@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan regents set meeting agenda with Warde Manuel’s future in doubt
Reporting by Sarah Atwood, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sarah Atwood, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
