SC

Why Did Clemson Fire Its Student Affairs Educrat?

By FITSNEWS || Last week this website reported on Clemson (S.C.) University’s decision to fire Gail DiSabatino – its vice president for student affairs. Most viewed DiSabatino’s ouster as fallout from the ongoing fraternity scandals at Clemson – including the as-yet-unsolved death of 19-year-old student Tucker Hipps back in September. But was DiSabatino canned because…

By FITSNEWS || Last week this website reported on Clemson (S.C.) University’s decision to fire Gail DiSabatino – its vice president for student affairs.

Most viewed DiSabatino’s ouster as fallout from the ongoing fraternity scandals at Clemson – including the as-yet-unsolved death of 19-year-old student Tucker Hipps back in September.

But was DiSabatino canned because she didn’t do enough to rein in the frats?  Or was she booted for cracking down on them too hard?

According to a story published this week by Inside Higher Education, DiSabatino’s ouster was met with much rejoicing by the fraternity community.  Specifically, they questioned her decision to temporarily suspend fraternity social activities in the wake of Hipps’ death.

“DiSabatino’s involvement in the decision was not well-received by some Clemson fraternity members who felt that they were all being punished for the misdeeds of a few,” IHE’s Jake New reported.  “Their frustration was reportedly further compounded by uncertainty about whether the suspension would impact the annual tradition of building homecoming floats.”

Because God forbid that happen …

Anyway, when DiSabatino’s firing was greeted with glee by the school’s Greek community.

“Don’t let the door hit your big ass on the way out,” one Clemson Alpha Tau Omega alum tweeted.

Ouch …

The hottest rumor in Tigertown?  That fraternity alumni threatened to withhold donations to the school in the event Greek activities were further disrupted by DiSabatino.

“Clemson previously threatened to ban Greek social activities in 2010, prompting some Greek alumni to email the university saying such a suspension would jeopardize donations to the Clemson Fund,” IHE reported. “Some faculty and students had speculated that similar threats had been made leading to DiSabatino’s departure.”

A spokeswoman for Clemson told IHE such speculation was “unfortunate and uninformed.”

Developing …

***

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56 comments

Anon December 9, 2014 at 11:40 am

Man FITS, you are really salty about monumentally screwing up on your Hipps story, and I suppose maybe the football game result has you a little extra #cootmad.

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I Spy December 9, 2014 at 11:49 am

You’re obviously clueless and blind as a bat. Try looking over your shoulder sometimes. Fits does a pretty good job of exposing corruption and angering those he exposes (You?).

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Scooter December 9, 2014 at 2:17 pm

He is absolutely obsessed with Clemson.

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FastEddy23 December 9, 2014 at 10:20 pm

He is obsessed with co-eds … If he were obsessed with money, he would rob banks.

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a face in the crowd December 9, 2014 at 11:44 am

Gail may have the last laugh, as the university is currently in PR crisis mode.

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Parent December 9, 2014 at 11:55 am

Yes, I drank in college — probably too much. But officials should be more strict to curb it. They can and they should. Sounds like Gail was doing her job… or trying.

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a face in the crowd December 9, 2014 at 12:05 pm

People with a false sense of entitlement are not accustomed to being held accountable. That is why they react with such anger. But the cat is out of the proverbial bag now, and people are getting a glimpse of how things operate.

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CNSYD December 9, 2014 at 10:36 pm

“Gail”? Is she a personal friend of yours like your boy Troutman? BTW, where is he employed now?

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a face in the crowd December 9, 2014 at 11:11 pm

Just keep typing, pal. The world is changing, and the corrupt trash you worship is being shown the door.

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a face in the crowd December 9, 2014 at 11:25 pm

Which is to say that while DiSabatino may have been the scapegoat in this instance, she will hopefully share information with those who have power in a court of law.

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CNSYD December 10, 2014 at 11:54 am

So you have read her termination agreement?

Tear Down Clemson December 9, 2014 at 11:47 am

Clemson is about to be brought down to its knees. Little Johnny’s and Little Debbie’s mommy and daddy complained about DiSabatino. They can’t have their little spoiled rotten brats unhappy now, can they? Bunch of fooked up twits. Karma will get them. Murder charges I hope over the Hipps death.

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E Norma Scok December 9, 2014 at 12:15 pm

“brought down to its knees”?

dramatic, much?

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CNSYD December 9, 2014 at 1:30 pm

another Sic Willie pen name?

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Wasteful Navy Shipyards December 9, 2014 at 4:37 pm

And you like paying 35.15 cents in taxes on a gallon of gas. Don’t give me any crap about SC being the lowest, either. SC has the lowest wages in the entire nation. Maybe one day, you might earn (even though you are a gravy yard bum) 10 bucks an hour at MacDonalds.

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CNSYD December 9, 2014 at 10:31 pm

How learned you are. Mixing apples and oranges. What has gas taxes got to do with the discussion? “Liking” paying taxes and understanding the necessity of paying taxes are two different things.Do you speak Russian? If not, thank all those who helped win the Cold War.

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Manray December 9, 2014 at 12:06 pm

All this begs the question: Is the so-called Greek system a positive element in university life?

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Nölff December 9, 2014 at 12:06 pm

Maybe the Cripmus party was the guillotine.

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The Colonel December 9, 2014 at 12:27 pm

It sure is taking the Sheriff’s Department a long time to finish their investigation. They walked back their “…no hazing…” statement a while back – if their was no evidence of foul play one would think they could finish up fairly quickly and publish the results. The longer this drags out the worse the potential outcome for Clemson’s Greeks. My associates at Clemson say that the “lips are as tight as they can be” in both officialdom and the fraternity houses.

The Hipp’s family is owed some answers and they deserve a complete answer sooner rather than later.

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Rocky December 9, 2014 at 1:02 pm

Well Colonel – I think the answers are pretty clear. It’s the huge cover-up underway. Makes you wonder if the kids with slippery palms have some major up-state or mid-lands connections and people are scambling to avoid a bad tarnish on the golden name of Clemson.

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The Colonel December 9, 2014 at 1:11 pm

I had an opportunity to talk with a member of the extended Hipps family – a cover up won’t fly. I know this person was also in touch with the Sheriff’s office I hope they were paying attention or this could get really ugly.

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Rocky December 9, 2014 at 1:14 pm

Good. Sometimes you just have to call Bullshit and force them to admit to the truth – and face the music. But it’s an old SC dance – deny, run for cover, get the State House and the alumni to cover your ass. So in you chats – how many alumni have offered unsolicited “compensation” to the family.

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The Colonel December 9, 2014 at 1:56 pm

Don’t think a huge cover-up is underway – more of a “control the message” and timing campaign.

E Norma Scok December 9, 2014 at 3:44 pm

As it should be. Any organization would do the same–at least I would hope they would.

I know there’s a lot of Columbia bias here, so I guess that’s why people ask the questions they already know the correct answers to.

The Colonel December 9, 2014 at 5:21 pm

I’m not suggesting that we should have a daily gossip fest, far from it. I am suggesting that the sheriff’s office has had sufficient time to build its case one way or another.

E norma Scok December 9, 2014 at 8:11 pm

I don’t know the investigation ins and outs, so I can’t agree with you on that one.

mamatiger92 December 9, 2014 at 1:35 pm

of course you did

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mamatiger92 December 9, 2014 at 1:35 pm

if I had a nickel for every FITS poster claiming to have “associates” & “sources” related to this story….

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The Colonel December 9, 2014 at 2:44 pm

…you’d still be a cynical pain in the ass?

My “associates” have nothing to do with the investigation at all. I teach at and recruit for the chicken coop and have peers and friends who do the same at the tater farm. They have told me that the whole issue is being handled very close hold. I’m a SigEp and have stayed in contact with alumni from both my chapters and the one at tater farm – My friends from Georgia and USC speculate wildly, my friends at the tater farm haven’t a word to say.

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E Norma Scok December 9, 2014 at 3:42 pm

Should they?

What’s the worst thing someone who works there and had knowledge of the situation do?

Run their mouth about it before its officially released.

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The Colonel December 9, 2014 at 8:22 pm

When you get the zipped lips zipped to the point they are, you naturally get suspicious. It’s unusual to have an investigation where everything is hunky dory this tight lipped. Look at the recent unpleasantness in Ferguson, we knew what the grand jury was going to do long before their decision came out.

Student December 9, 2014 at 8:36 pm

Colonel do you anticipate criminal charges being filed against those boys? Or will they just give ’em a good scare and let it be?

The Colonel December 9, 2014 at 8:47 pm

Depends, if he jumped, dove or fell and they failed report I think they ultimately walk. If he was pushed, suspended and dropped or somehow forced to jump and somebody rolls over, the crew who actually caused his death are toast. If nobody mans up, there will to be some pretty clear and damning evidence to indict.

VoiceofReason December 9, 2014 at 4:13 pm

That’s the way it should be until the facts come out you idiot.

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Rocky December 9, 2014 at 4:28 pm

Or should be when you realize that there will be a great attorney who graduated from USC law school that’s going to take Clemson and the fraternity to task for wrongful death – and rake in millions. By the time the law suits are done Clemson will look worse than FSU as an ACC school. What a poster child the ACC is – either send your kids to FSU and get raped by the football team, or send them to Clemson and let them be dropped off a bridge.

E Norma Scok December 9, 2014 at 5:17 pm

Wow…the butthurt is running deep today.

Its only football man.

None of that you said will happen.

CNSYD December 9, 2014 at 10:33 pm

Hyperbole much?

The Colonel December 9, 2014 at 8:24 pm

Should be but rarely is, it’s the gas that we haven’t had a big leak that concerns me.

John December 9, 2014 at 2:18 pm

Wonder if they are waiting for semester to finish and students to get home before releasing report.

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Scooter December 9, 2014 at 2:20 pm

They are giving Fits just enough rope to hang themselves.

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The answer is self-evident December 9, 2014 at 1:10 pm

Take a look at how the student life office recently has been behind the curve, reactionary, and not productive afterward in dealing with every issue that arises. Greeks are beyond boundaries, groups are divided racially, professors are calling out students on twitter, and just generally people are not made to feel part of a greater whole. Campus in is uproar over a number of things. And, yes, this reflects the times and the particularities of the college and such. And, yes, she cared and she tired to do what she thought was best. And, yes, everything she did was not bad – far from it.

But ask again why a change was made and you’ve got your answer. You’ll see something entirely different under the closer engagement and different focus of Clements, Jacks and Wiles in 2015.

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a face in the crowd December 9, 2014 at 3:13 pm

I do not know the specifics of her job performance, but the answer is most certainly not self-evident. People at the top of the administrative ladder would have you believe it
is always the failings of those in other parts of the bureaucracy. In the last administration, the president made life miserable for anyone who questioned his authority or blamed his office for an incident, and the BOT gave him categorical support whether he was right or wrong. Thankfully, we now have social media and blogs, and the hush-hush expectations are fading.

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E Norma Scok December 9, 2014 at 3:40 pm

You didn’t have social media and blogs a year ago? 5 years ago?

Sometimes..too much “empowerment” is a bad thing for a group of state workers who are rarely fired and often complacent. Maybe Barker knew that.

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a face in the crowd December 9, 2014 at 9:18 pm Reply
E Norma Scok December 10, 2014 at 9:19 am

Are those salaries comparable to other universities?

Rocky December 9, 2014 at 1:51 pm

I wonder if she’ll talk.

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E Norma Scok December 9, 2014 at 3:45 pm

Talk about what? Why she got fired?

Have you ever known anyone that was fired and tell you the real story?

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Sam Adams December 9, 2014 at 7:37 pm

Take a look at the Vp who fired from Penn State because she tried to hold JoPa’s football players accountable.

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VoiceofReason December 9, 2014 at 4:10 pm

Idiots. Wait on the facts. By the way the girl who passed away Sunday had battled cancer. Sorry Fits and idiots, no story here either.

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E Norma Scok December 9, 2014 at 5:18 pm

Never even made these pages. Not enough salaciousness. Cancer doesn’t sell I guess.

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Student December 9, 2014 at 4:47 pm

The tweet in the article and its account has been deleted. Post a picture of that twitter page on your story from before it got taken down.

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Idontthinkso December 9, 2014 at 5:52 pm

Oh really! Do you really think a few fraternity alums could be that powerful to the Clemson Alum Fund? How much do insurance salesmen make anyway?

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Student December 9, 2014 at 8:22 pm

The greeks hated gail. They spewed vitriol at her from a number of different angles. I think that was one of their long-term goals, to get her fired.

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The Colonel December 9, 2014 at 9:08 pm

Most Greeks hate the Dean of Student Affairs/life because he/she is usually the designated grown-up.

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Sam December 14, 2014 at 11:17 pm

I believe this. As we all know, money talks.

And speaking of which, when I was at Clemson many years ago, I remember the horrible noise created by the annual building of the homecoming floats. The music was blasting all day and night, and you could barely sleep because of the noise. It was outrageous. Does that still go on today?

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Clean em out December 15, 2014 at 12:32 pm

This woman was another Barker mistake from the get go! How Barker was allowed to hire someone in the midst of her being sued by student orgs (not frats) at GaTech is beyond me. She eventually cost the state of Ga over 500K because of her lack of understanding of free speech!

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