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Dorrell resigns from Arkansas amid scandal
By Staff Report
This article was published April 17, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.
PHOTO BY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
Eight months after resigning her position on the Arkansas football staff, Jessica Dorrell has landed a new job after moving to South Carolina. She is shown here at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in March.
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DOCUMENTS
FAYETTEVILLE — Jessica Dorrell, whose relationship with Bobby Petrino became public knowledge and national news following a motorcycle accident earlier this month, has resigned, the University of Arkansas announced Tuesday.
Dorrell will receive a private, non-taxpayer settlement of $13,993.75 with the university to be paid within two weeks. In exchange for the settlement, Dorrell agreed to not attempt to profit from her affiliation with the Razorbacks.
The UA has no immediate plans to reopen the vacated position, which will be filled by existing staff members for the time being, according to the release.
“While Ms. Dorrell had a legitimate right to apply for and accept a position within the football program, the circumstances surrounding the former coach’s decision to hire her compromised her ability to be effective in such a position,” UA athletics director Jeff Long said. “She and I believe she should have the opportunity to move on.”
Dorrell had been on administrative leave from her job as student-athlete development coordinator.
In documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Long approved an expedited process that resulted in Dorrell's hiring last month.
Clayton Hamilton, writing on Long's behalf, requested to UA assistant director of affirmative action Danielle Wood on March 19 to waive a 30-day job posting requirement so "an individual can be identified as soon as possible."
The position was posted on Feb. 28. Interviews were completed March 12-16, and Dorrell was hired on March 20.
Dorrell started the position March 23, but she was not officially introduced by the university until March 28.
Hamilton, who is listed as the athletics department's chief financial officer, wrote, "Timeliness during the process will be essential since any delay could result in missing a critical recruiting period when prospects are identified and plans are made to invite them to our campus for a recruiting visit."
Dorrell was one of three finalists who interviewed for the position. The names of the other finalists are redacted, but the documents released include travel and interview itineraries for Ben Wilkerson and Tiffany Fields.
All three finalists for the position went through an extensive one-day interview process, meeting with eight athletics department staffers, including former head football coach, Petrino.
In his letter asking to hire Dorrell, Petrino said the former volleyball player "had the best experience and we felt like she would be the best fit for this position."
"Jessica was a former student-athlete who understands the NCAA and SEC rules and regulations with regards to recruiting," an unknown author wrote in an interview feedback. "She also knows how to relate to potential recruits since she was a former athlete at the U of A.
"She has a natural networking ability who can communicate to coaches, student-athletes and donors. Out of the three candidates, Jessica has the most overall experience of building the relationships that the football program is looking for."
Of the other two finalists, Petrino wrote: "Great candidate but not as much relevant experience as other candidates for this particular position."
Petrino was fired last week for what Long described as manipulative and misleading behavior in an attempt to cover-up an inappropriate relationship with Dorrell. Petrino also paid Dorrell $20,000 prior to her hire. According to documents obtained Friday, Dorrell used the money to purchase an Acura automobile during the first week of her employment with the football program.
The two were involved in a single motorcycle accident on April 1 causing Long to review their relationship.
In Long's letter of termination to Petrino, he wrote, "you deliberately failed to tell me that you had engaged in an extra-marital affair with Ms. Dorrell over a period of several months leading up to your recommendation to hire her. As such, you used your University position to advance your personal interests in violation of the University's policies on conflict of interest. If you had been forthcoming with me about the true nature of your relationship, I would not have approved the hiring of Ms. Dorrell for this position."
Long continued, "All of these facts, individually and collectively, are clearly contrary to the character and responsibilities of the person occupying the position of the Head Football Coach - an individual who should serve as a role model and leader for our student-athletes. Moreover, all of these facts, individually and collectively, negatively and adversely affect the reputation of the University of Arkansas as well as our athletics programs."
Dorrell listed four years of related experience on her resume for the position. Nine of the 159 candidates for the position listed at least 10 years experience.
Five applications were marked as incomplete and one candidate withdrew from consideration during the hiring process.
According to the documents, Dann Kabala resigned from the position Feb. 24.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
Thank you for coming to the website of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. We're working to keep you informed with the latest breaking news.
Matt Jones in Fayetteville, Caleb Fort in Springdale and Matthew Harris in Little Rock contributed to this report.
Comments on: Dorrell resigns from Arkansas amid scandal
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dmsquare says... April 17, 2012 at 7:21 p.m.
Tell me how in the world the UA paid her $14,000!!! What a crock of crap! She was wrongly hired for that job and she is lucky that the UA didn't ask her for money for being hired.
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DoWhat says... April 17, 2012 at 7:34 p.m.
Petrino showed us what he showed others. Hopefully no one else will give him a chance and if his wife stays on board she gets what she deserves.....more of him.....
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Arky56 says... April 17, 2012 at 7:39 p.m.
I TOTALLY AGREE - WHAT A FARCE. BP GOT ZILCH, WHY SHOULD SHE GET A DIME???? WHAT TOOK HER SO LONG TO RESIGN? I DONT KNOW HOW SHE COULD SHOW HER FACE ON CAMPUS......DOES ANYBODY KNOW IF HER FIANCE (MAY BE EX-FIANCE BY NOW) IS STILL IN THE PICTURE?
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glennm446208120831 says... April 17, 2012 at 7:49 p.m.
University got off lucky on this one. If she would have gotten a good lawyer she could have handed their butt to them. This is one of the positives of this horrible episode.
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arkateacher54_aol.com says... April 17, 2012 at 7:54 p.m.
WHAT!!?? She never should have been hired, she wasn't there long enough to get her chair warm, she participated in BP's self destruction - and walks off with $14,000! (Insert various curse words here.) Gubmint entities throw away money like it was oak leaves in the back yard. I am so sick of this kind of crap.
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jeeper360 says... April 17, 2012 at 8:01 p.m.
I still think she was the one driving the motorcycle at the time of the crash. I agree that she shouldn't have gotten a dime for leaving.
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rockylittle says... April 17, 2012 at 8:03 p.m.
Makes it pretty hard to contribute to the Razorback Nation when I see $14,000
just thrown out of the window regardless of which fund was the source of this
money.
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BETRTIMES says... April 17, 2012 at 8:24 p.m.
must be nice.. work a job less than a month, and get $14,000... I can think of several things the college could better spend the money on..
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Redlab says... April 17, 2012 at 8:27 p.m.
She hasn't even had the job a month and she is receiving $14,000, this is ludacris. She should not receive anything. People will be thinking hard before they contribute any money to Razorbacks Nation.
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SPA says... April 17, 2012 at 8:36 p.m.
"We felt she would be the best fit for the position."
Which position was that, Petrino? Let me guess....
"She has a natural networking ability...." Yeah. We know. She had a great "connection" with the coach.
It does take 2 to tango. If she's resigned, why did she get a $14 K settlement?
If I were a supporter of the "Hawgs"--and I'm not--I wouldn't give this program another dime.
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nitabee says... April 17, 2012 at 8:49 p.m.
The U of A would have been massacred in a lawsuit. We got out of this easy and should be glad it was only $14k. Doesn't matter if she wasnt qualified, read some law on the subject.
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jmonroe says... April 17, 2012 at 9:01 p.m.
She is 25!!!!! How many of you have daughters??
She deserves a chance to move on.
Who amongst us shall cast the first stone??
Go Hogs, Go Jessica, you and us were duped.
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inquire says... April 17, 2012 at 9:04 p.m.
jmonroe, how was she duped? Who could possibly not have known that Petrino was married? She was a young woman who chose to have an affair with a married man, and was glad to use it to get a lucrative job at tax payer expense. She's no lady, she's no innocent young girl, and she was not duped. She duped the tax payers of the state of Arkansas.
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davidhallin02021230 says... April 17, 2012 at 9:13 p.m.
$14k is less than it cost to pay Petrino for two days at his former rate of $3.56 million a year. The U. of A. got off pretty inexpensively. She, too, is a victim of Petrino's self serving agenda. Let her go in peace.
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Felina says... April 17, 2012 at 9:18 p.m.
Nitabee is correct! I would not be surprised if she actually received more money under the table, especially in light of the "non-disclosure" agreement, meaning she can't sell a "tell-all" memoir to the Inquirer! A lawsuit would have much more costly than this settlement! Thank God this nightmare is over, it is time for fans to focus on supporting the players! Go Hogs!
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ransan_cox.net says... April 17, 2012 at 10:14 p.m.
$34k for doing what??? Oh, I think we know. Jessica is good at it. Hope she is packing up & returning to Texas!
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NoUserName says... April 17, 2012 at 10:30 p.m.
Jessica comes cheap. Seriously.
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hogman57 says... April 17, 2012 at 10:32 p.m.
Jesssica received a severance package of exactly 3 months pay. The money came from a private non-taxpayer fund so it was not from taxpayers of Arkansas funds. Probably from the foundation or directly from athletic department funds as the football department is self-supporting. She will have to pay taxes and social security on these funds too.
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Rbackfan10 says... April 17, 2012 at 10:46 p.m.
Now that the perps are gone, I believe we can put this smelly saga to rest. I chose to be quiet until Ms. Dorrell had been dealt with. In my opinion our AD did the best that could have been done under the circumstances. Now that the other shoe has dropped, I can be involved with some forethought for the future of the UA athletic program and more precisely, HOGS Football.
It seems that our team is, so far, in tact and that the seniors are stepping up to take charge and provide guidance for their younger team-mates. This encourages me and tells me why we have such a good win record going into this season. I fail to see a downside for our recruiting program in light of the AD's quick resolution of the problem. Contrarily, it may well be a plus. No employees character can be totally ascertained before employment and neither could BP's. The AD's willingness to act in a forthright manner, even in light of his coaches winning record, brings credit to the athletic program he oversees.
Concerning the hiring of a new head coch, if I were the AD, I think I would punt and put the program in the hands of the man now in charge and a winning senior class of football players. I'd bet on a winning season and go for a really good head coach after another outstanding season.
Comments invited.
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bcnwa says... April 17, 2012 at 10:47 p.m.
Everyone seems to be focused on the 14K, but missing the stipulation about her not profiting further from her affiliation with the Razorbacks. Basically, it trumps a tell-all book deal. You have to know that somewhere out there there's someone willing to write a MUCH bigger check for exclusive rights to her side of the story....which I'm sure would be worth 7 figures in book sales. I say smart move to get this in the past and minimize any further damage to the UofA and Razorbacks. Just think....$20 book x 70,000 copies = $1.4 million....and it could all be brought back to the spotlight by the end of the season, or at the beginning of a new coach's hiring....definitely NOT something that would help anything except to line someone's pockets. I'm not saying its right, just the lesser of two evils.
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... April 18, 2012 at 1:15 a.m.
Generally a whore is not paid for services ... but to leave, with the understands of no kiss and tell.
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oldude says... April 18, 2012 at 5:46 a.m.
U of A got off cheap! Now to settle with the other 150 plus! Thanks BP.
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Poorboy says... April 18, 2012 at 6:57 a.m.
Time to pose in Playboy
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ToTheLeft says... April 18, 2012 at 8:33 a.m.
$14,000? How much did UA have to pay Houston Nutt and Nolan Richardson for NOTHING? Into the millions, maybe?
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ruddie says... April 18, 2012 at 8:47 a.m.
*poorly paid for her services entirely.. as 4 the jobs.. she knew U A wasn't going to keep her..Not saying this is morally correct, Jessica, why didn't you asked for 50 % and Lawyer fees paid.. and then resign.... Why not?
25% of your yearly salary and remember you still have a car notes/payments
You didn't think before and you didn't think this time..
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VOM says... April 18, 2012 at 10:14 a.m.
This is WRONG on many levels! ... $7k per leg.
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AlleyOops75 says... April 18, 2012 at 10:38 a.m.
I'll take a guess as to why the UA paid her $14,000....It's a very inexpensive way to get out of what could become a horrible situation for the University & the state of AR. Her attorney, if she has one, must be one big booster for the AR football program. I'd venture to say that Dorrell could have received a much greater settlement had she hired a high profile attorney like Gloria Allred. Yep, the U of A came out smelling like a rose on this one.
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AlleyOops75 says... April 18, 2012 at 10:51 a.m.
I'm amazed at how many posters are complaining about the 14k 'settlement' the U of A made with Dorrell...this is peanuts compared to what she might have received in a law suit. Lots of high powered attorneys would have jumped at the chance to represent a poor little ole 5'11" distressed & 'innocent' blond who was victimized by her boss. Yep, the U of A should give a handsome bonus to the one that arranged this deal.
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MenLR2 says... April 18, 2012 at 10:55 a.m.
14K...cheaper than a lot of divorcees...
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NoUserName says... April 18, 2012 at 1:34 p.m.
While I see the 'value' in UA settling for $14k and it was likely the best move, I'm not sure it's cut and dry that she'd walk away with gobs in a lawsuit. Petrino got her a job. She got $20k from Petrino - perhaps she even 'bribed' it out of him by threatening to tell his wife (not making a factual statement here). I personally think it'd be a hard sell to paint her as the victim with all the perks she received. Cell records could also paint a picture of a non-victim if she was initiating a lot of calls.
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inquire says... April 18, 2012 at 2:31 p.m.
I realize the university got off cheap, but it is just galling to see a little twit with no morals rake in, for three weeks "work", three weeks high salary, over fourteen thousand dollars more, plus a new car. The wages of sin is money!!
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Que2 says... April 18, 2012 at 3:14 p.m.
I agree! Getting paid for being a part of doing wrong? The guy she was suppose to marry is the one that should be getting paid. The time he put in the relationship, the money he spent on planning a wedding, and the pain and shame he suffered. He the one that has a right to sue.
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inquire says... April 18, 2012 at 4:26 p.m.
At least he found out what she was before marrying her. Too bad a fiance probably can't sue for alienation of affection. He could relieve Petrino of a little of his money.
It was on the news today that two Razorbacks were arrested for theft, of all the stupid things. They have a chance to make a good start in life and don't even realize how much that is worth. We need a coach who can set a believable good example and try to ride herd on these kids. It seems some of them are always in trouble with the law. Someone like Petrino who has forfeited his moral authority can never lead young people.
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