This week we are writing about the very interesting case involving the head football coach in Mississippi who was fired for “immoral conduct.” This thing has “made for TV-movie” written all over it. It includes a head football coach, his ex-wife, the ex-wife’s new “friend” and the coach’s new girlfriend—all of whom worked for the DeSoto County Schools.
Coach Wallace signed up for the Ashley Madison website. As we told you on Monday, this is a dating website that targets married people. I don’t know who Ashley M. is, but apparently she has little regard for the 6th Commandment. The tagline for the site is “Life is short. Have an affair.”
From the court’s opinion it sounds like Coach Wallace’s marriage was coming apart at the time he sought a new partner. But it is often hard to sort out cause from effect in a situation like that. In any event, when a hacker exposed all of the account holders on the Ashley Madison website, it became known in the community that Coach Wallace was seeking an adulterous relationship.
How would that play in your school? Would the coach’s record matter? What do you suppose Alabama would do if we found out that Nick Saban was fooling around?
Questions abound.
Coach Wallace’s involvement with Ashley Madison became known after the data breach in August 2015, but the district did not terminate his employment over this. In the subsequent litigation, the principal testified that “everyone” knew that the coach had an account with A/M, but the principal still wanted him as an employee. Here is an exchange between Coach Wallace’s lawyer and the principal:
Q: So you had every intention of him being a school teacher for you the next school year. Is that correct?
A: That’s correct.
Perhaps you are wondering: didn’t they fire him for “immoral conduct”? So if this is not what got him fired, what else happened?
Tune in to the Dawg tomorrow. More will be revealed.
DAWG BONE: WHEN YOU IGNORE INAPPROPRIATE EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR, IT HAS A TENDENCY TO COME BACK TO BITE YOU.
Tomorrow: The plot thickens….