Barchi and Pernetti

Rutgers faculty, government officials, members of the public (and DiversityInc readers) are demanding answers to the Rutgers University basketball scandal involving physical abuse and homophobic slurs—and some are asking for the resignation of Athletic Director Tim Pernetti and Rutgers President Dr. Robert Barchi.

Basketball Coach Mike Rice was fired yesterday after video of his actions surfaced. But when Pernetti first saw the video in November, he gave Rice a slap on the wrist and allowed him to continue coaching the men’s basketball team. Because he was not fired at the time and completed the season, Rice will be paid a $100,000 bonus.

The controversy surfaced Tuesday night after ESPN aired video that showcased Rice in a rage, kicking and shoving students, throwing basketballs at their heads from close range, and using hateful, homophobic slurs like “f—-t” to degrade them. Pernetti admittedly saw the video, and similar clips, in November, as did internal and external counsel. Some reports said Barchi also had seen any video, but a Rutgers statement yesterday implied he was aware of Rice’s actions but never saw the video until Tuesday. In November, Rice was suspended for three games, fined $50,000 and required to receive anger-management counseling.

DiversityInc CEO Luke Visconti, a member of the Rutgers Board of Trustees and of the Rutgers Board of Governors Standing Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, said he was never informed about Rice’s anti-gay slurs or the fact that the video existed. Visconti says he had been told there was a disciplinary issue, which was addressed with the suspension.

Where’s the Accountability for Leadership?

“I am responsible for the decision to attempt a rehabilitation of Coach Rice,” said Pernetti. “Dismissal and corrective action were debated in December, and I thought it was in the best interest of everyone to rehabilitate, but I was wrong. Moving forward, I will work to regain the trust of the Rutgers community.”

Although Dr. Barchi said he did not see the video until this week, he is under scrutiny for not taking a more proactive role when Pernetti approached him about the need for disciplinary action against Rice. According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger:

Barchi never asked to see the video. … It wasn’t until late Tuesday that Barchi finally watched a DVD of the excerpts with Pernetti on the Piscataway campus. Amid growing outrage and calls from the governor to fire the embattled coach, the university president finally changed his mind about Rice, according to interviews with Rutgers officials.

Many are calling for the resignation of Pernetti, including DiversityInc readers, who responded to our initial coverage in “Why Did Rutgers Wait to Fire Coach After Anti-Gay and Abusive Actions?” For example:

• Due to their failures, university President Dr. Robert Barchi and Athletic Director Tim Pernetti should now be fired—especially Pernetti.

• Pernetti stating “Moving forward, I will work to regain the trust of the Rutgers community” is insufficient. He should not be given that opportunity to work to rebuild trust—he failed in his insufficient response to the long term misbehavior of his subordinate.

• I would guess that if Barchi and Pernetti had heard the coach use the n-word or the c-word to demean the school’s student players instead of antigay f-word pejorative the coach actually used, likely a fine, a three-day suspension, and an anger management class wouldn’t have even been considered adequate at all. I don’t see the difference between using a racist pejoratives, sexist pejorative, and anti-gay pejoratives: all pejoratives demean not only those who the terms are used against, but also demean known minority populations. Use of pejoratives by people drawing salary from the university shouldn’t be tolerated at all by the university’s management.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said he was “deeply disturbed” by Rice’s actions and expects Rutgers’ administration to provide a full explanation “as to why Mr. Rice was not dismissed sooner and how exactly that decision was made. If answers aren’t forthcoming, we are prepared to do what’s needed to get them for the people of New Jersey.”

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The white paper, High achievers: recognizing the power of women to spur business and economic growth, focuses on the foundation that women have established in sports; the impact they are now making in all segments of business and society; and the work that remains. It also examines the anticipated impact of women as the largest emerging market in the world, with women’s global incomes growing from US$13 trillion to US$18 trillion in the next five years – that incremental US$5 trillion is almost twice the growth in GDP expected from China and India combined.

Beth Brooke, Global Vice Chair of Public Policy at Ernst & Young, comments: “How can we harness the immense potential of women for the improvement of society and the economy? Supporting their participation in sports and education, leading initiatives that increase their presence in senior leadership and on corporate boards, and helping them to start and grow their companies, are a few ways to level the playing field.

“As we celebrate this year’s Games and athletes, and look toward the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, we must continue to foster the growth of one of the world’s most promising emerging markets: women.”

The white paper will be launched at an Ernst & Young event, set to take place on Saturday August 11 2012 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (BST) at Casa Brasil, RIO 2016’s Olympic House, located at Somerset House, The Strand, London WC2R 1LA (on the River Terrace via Seamen’s Hall). It will include a panel discussion on the issues and themes raised in the white paper, such as comparisons on gender equity in the Olympics and sports with women’s participation in business and the economy.

Participants in the panel discussion will include:

• Donna de Varona, Olympian and former President, Women’s Sports Foundation (Moderator)
• Beth Brooke, Global Vice Chair, Public Policy, Ernst & Young
• Sir Philip Craven, MBE, Paralympian and President, International Paralympic Committee, Member, International Olympic Committee
• Anita DeFrantz, Olympian, Chair of the Women and Sport Commission and former Vice President, International Olympic Committee
• Nawal El Moutawakel*, Olympian and Vice President, International Olympic Committee
• Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, DBE, Paralympian and member of the British House of Lords, United Kingdom
• HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan, Member, International Olympic Committee
• Pinky Lilani, Founder & Chairman, Women of the Future

*As a member of the IAAF, Nawal El Moutawakel may not be able to participate due to a last-minute conflict.

Some of the highlights from the white paper and topics of debate at the event include:

Gender equity in sports

• For the first time in the history of the Olympics, all countries competing in the 2012 Games include women in their respective delegations.
• Women represent more than 40% of the total number of athletes at the 2012 Games
• Also breaking new ground, female athletes from Saudi Arabia, Brunei and Qatar are participating in the Olympics for the first time and the US Olympic team has more women delegates than men.
• Sport can be an integrating factor in society, yet in many countries; women and girls do not have access to sports and do not play a significant part in sports’ ruling bodies, according to the Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe Report, Discrimination against women and girls in sport.
• A United Nations report points out that “the participation of women and girls in sport challenges gender stereotypes and discrimination, and can therefore be a vehicle to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls” and “can shape attitudes towards women’s capabilities as leaders and decision-makers, especially in traditional male domains.”

Impact of sport on career development

• According to a survey of executive women conducted by MassMutual Financial and Oppenheimer Funds, 81% played sports growing up and 69% said sports helped them to develop leadership skills that contributed to their professional success.

Gender equity in business and the economy

• In contrast to the statistics for women reaching the pinnacle in sports by participating in the Olympics, or the progress made in women’s education in the US after Title IX, the number of female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies has doubled in the last decade, but in 2012 it is still only 4% of the total.
• When the world’s industrialized economies are viewed as a group, just 11.1% of board directors are women and in rapid-growth markets that number falls to 7.2%.
• Research shows that women in leadership positions can enhance organizational performance in measurable, quantifiable ways. In a study by Pepperdine University, the 25 Fortune 500 companies with the best record of promoting women to high positions were between 18% and 69% more profitable than the median Fortune 500 firms in their industry.
• According to Catalyst, Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women board directors outperformed those with the least, as measured by return on equity, return on sales and return on invested capital (53%, 42% and 66%, respectively).
• Approximately 860 million women – over 25% of all women worldwide – are “not prepared” and/or “not enabled” to take part in the world economy, according to Booz & Company. Most of these women are between the ages of 20 and 65 and nearly 95% live in emerging economies. The rest live in North America, Western Europe and Japan. Counting female births and those under age 20, this number will add up to a billion in the next decade.

About Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit www.ey.com.

This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global Ernst & Young organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

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Responding to a question about why the NBA doesn’t “look” like the rest of America in his “Ask the White Guy” column, DiversityInc Partner and Cofounder

Here’s just a sampling of the responses DiversityInc received regarding blacks’ apparent dominance in the sporting arena:

I think that Luke hits the majority of the nail right on the head in his response to the question: “Why Doesn’t the NBA Look Like America?” In large part, it is about “channeling” … a very pervasive, yet subtle form of societal pressure that encourages/supports/forces members of groups to pursue the avenues which society is most accustomed to/comfortable with seeing them in.

This channeling influences ALL groups within our society … not just the black and the brown. In some cases, however, this channeling is less detrimental to the individual or group than in other cases.

The other smidgen of the head of the nail that I think needs to be addressed is the channeling pressure from WITHIN a group of people. Group identity and group membership is often determined by one’s adherence to the expectations of the group (which, in many cases, have come to align themselves with the general societal expectations … no matter how limiting or narrow).

—Stuart Rankin

Interesting question, but great answer by Mr. Visconti. I agree that whenever anyone concentrates on a particular niche, s/he is going to excel in that area—especially if they believe this is their only opportunity to not be denied their part of the American Dream.
—Angela Hicks

Interesting and informative! The same argument could be made for the American Baseball Leagues and Hispanic players/coaches/managers. To determine someone’s abilities—be they athletic, intellectual, artistic, whatever—by their racial makeup is ludicrous. If we in America don’t learn to embrace each other, then we can’t grow. We will no longer be the strong country the rest of the world thinks we are.

—Karen Green

You offer a good answer, but I think it is overly generalized—too many leaps of logic. As for the NBA, Bill Russell offered another viewpoint in his first book, Go Up For Glory. First, blacks were excluded on racist terms only. Then, the only blacks allowed into the NBA were the “very best.” It was unacceptable for a black player to be paid to “sit on the bench.” So, the natural-selection process was artificially channeled until it appeared that black athletes were naturally better than whites. Now, the commitment to become the very best starts at a young age among blacks because it is seen as one of only a few options to excel.

Regarding your Chinese example, you are correct—only the very best Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Russian, and even Africans get to come to the USA. This is regardless of their pursuit. The only question is who controls the filter, and what is their motivation.

—Roger Madison

And here’s a question a reader submitted asking for a follow-up from the White Guy, plus his response:

So let me get this straight. Only the brightest Asians came to America? Doesn’t the culture of hard work and studying play the biggest role (i.e. the more you practice something, the better you get)?

I’m not sure measuring a student’s potential for learning can be tied to the school’s budget. Don’t we spend more per pupil in Washington, D.C., than almost any other school district? (And I don’t think the students in D.C. are ranked very well.)

Answer (From The White Guy):

Asian immigrants are indeed much better educated than immigrants from other areas. According to the conservative NationalCenter for Policy Analysis, “Almost 40 percent of those from Latin America have less than nine years schooling—compared to 20 percent of Europeans and Canadians, and 15 percent of Asians.”

Educated people tend to raise children who become educated. If you start off with that culture, then you are very likely to do well.

If you start off with more than 200 years of experience that you are not welcome at school and that hard work is not compensated equitably (slavery and Jim Crow), then it is logically more of a struggle to develop a culture when those circumstances are partially lifted. This does not change the basic talent that people are born with. Because our society created the differences, and because it is in our best economic interest to make sure the playing field is level, it is up to our society to change the circumstances to create an even outcome.

Very recently in our history, in some areas, we’ve begun to equalize the funding between predominantly white school districts and those who serve black and brown students. Nowhere that I know of are the levels of funding adequate to compensate for past inequities.

Outcome differences force a person to confront a profound question: Do you think all people are created equal?

If you don’t, you’re a bigot and that’s fine—you are free in this country to be one. However, if you think all people are created equal, then it is our collective best economic interest to investigate and eradicate the conditions and circumstances where results have differed by race. Unlocking potential is best for the economy and our society.

My beliefs are shaped by people like Benjamin Franklin, Sojourner Truth and Dr. Martin Luther King who communicated the need to raise the circumstances of formerly oppressed people via education, housing and sustenance as a compelling responsibility of a just society.

The post Why Are Sports Dominated by Blacks? What Our Readers Said appeared first on DiversityInc.

Question:
Why doesn’t the NBA look like America?

Answer:
Channeling the creative energy of a group of people into narrow categories will tend to enhance their performance in those specific areas.

Given the rampant under-funding of public schools that serve black and brown students, our country funnels entire groups of people–who can only be distinguished by race–into narrow channels of productivity.

It demonstrates a waste of potential. Just as the worst NBA team could completely dominate the best basketball team of 1957 (which, due to overt discrimination, was either completely or practically all white), it is logical to assume that representative corporate top-management representation would completely trounce all white top-managed companies.

I think most white people will have to think about that for a little while, because it’s still not acceptable in our society to think of black people as being intellectually equal.

Here’s another interesting way to look at the same phenomenon: In our country, it’s commonly held to be true that Asians are intelligent. A Chinese friend of mine pointed out that, if we emptied out Yale, Harvard and Princeton and sent those students to China, the Chinese people there would think Americans were pretty smart..

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