Background on dismissal of BYU baseball player saga
This blog is supposed to be about recruiting, but I'm going to stray a bit from that topic today because of all the emails I have been getting about a story published in today's Salt Lake Tribune that I wrote regarding a baseball player at BYU who has essentially been kicked out of the LDS Church-operated school for not going to church enough.
Go to http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_8149321.
The major criticism seems to be that the article does not include the church leaders' side of the matter and that there has to be more to the story about why Kent Walton is no longer a student at BYU. True, I never got a response from bishop Wayne Childs or stake president James Kearl, the men who decided to withdraw Kent Walton's ecclesiastical endorsement.
Here's why: When Kenneth Walton returned my phone call Friday afternoon, he was in Childs' office and told me that Kearl was on his way to the meeting. Kenneth Walton invited me to drive from the Tribune offices in Salt Lake City to Provo and observe the meeting.
When I told him that drive would take about an hour or longer in rush hour traffic, he told me the bishop and stake president were not willing to wait, but I could try and make it and perhaps catch them as they left the meeting if they wouldn't let me in. Fair enough.
An hour later, I was near Lehi when I called Walton again and learned the meeting was over and that the church leaders had gone home.
Also, after speaking with baseball coach Vance Law and BYU spokeswoman Carrie Jenkins earlier in the day, I was convinced that neither church leader (who are both BYU employees) would discuss the matter publicly.
However, I obtained Childs' home telephone number and tried to call the bishop five times on Friday evening. The line was busy all night.
Others have claimed that the term "kicked out of BYU" is misleading. My response is that is just a matter of semantics. Kenneth Walton showed me the letter dated Jan. 27 his son received stating that "you are no longer eligible to attend daytime or evening classes, to register for other courses, to graduate from BYU or to work for the University....until you return in good standing."
Essentially, that made Walton ineligible to play baseball, because it is hard to stay eligible when you cannot go to class or enroll in other classes. If that's not called getting kicked out, I don't know what is.
The Waltons reluctantly agreed to meet with me Friday night at Thanksgiving Point. I looked Kent Walton in the eye probably three or four times during the course of our hourlong meeting and asked him again and again: "Are you sure there is nothing more you have said or done -- or not done -- that could have caused you to be dismissed from BYU?"
He answered yes each time.
I called his roommate and teammate, Jake Wortham, and got the same response.
Also, I spoke off the record with several sources affiliated with BYU's athletic department who obviously have to remain anonymous or they could potentially lose their jobs. They are flat-out mystified as to why this is happening. Nobody said one negative thing about Kent Walton.
One e-mailer said the article implied that every BYU student -- LDS or not -- has to get their ecclesiastical endorsement from an LDS bishop. I probably should have been more clear on that matter. Non-LDS students, of course, can get their endorsement from leaders of other faiths.
One other minor issue: I was chosen to write the article because my assignment on Friday was to cover breaking sports news of any type. And our BYU beat writer, Rhiannon Potkey, was on the road traveling between Colorado Springs and Laramie.
I don't have an axe to grind with BYU or anything of the sort. Charges that I am somehow biased against the school or LDS Church are hurtful, irresponsible and completely off-base.
Go to http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_8149321.
The major criticism seems to be that the article does not include the church leaders' side of the matter and that there has to be more to the story about why Kent Walton is no longer a student at BYU. True, I never got a response from bishop Wayne Childs or stake president James Kearl, the men who decided to withdraw Kent Walton's ecclesiastical endorsement.
Here's why: When Kenneth Walton returned my phone call Friday afternoon, he was in Childs' office and told me that Kearl was on his way to the meeting. Kenneth Walton invited me to drive from the Tribune offices in Salt Lake City to Provo and observe the meeting.
When I told him that drive would take about an hour or longer in rush hour traffic, he told me the bishop and stake president were not willing to wait, but I could try and make it and perhaps catch them as they left the meeting if they wouldn't let me in. Fair enough.
An hour later, I was near Lehi when I called Walton again and learned the meeting was over and that the church leaders had gone home.
Also, after speaking with baseball coach Vance Law and BYU spokeswoman Carrie Jenkins earlier in the day, I was convinced that neither church leader (who are both BYU employees) would discuss the matter publicly.
However, I obtained Childs' home telephone number and tried to call the bishop five times on Friday evening. The line was busy all night.
Others have claimed that the term "kicked out of BYU" is misleading. My response is that is just a matter of semantics. Kenneth Walton showed me the letter dated Jan. 27 his son received stating that "you are no longer eligible to attend daytime or evening classes, to register for other courses, to graduate from BYU or to work for the University....until you return in good standing."
Essentially, that made Walton ineligible to play baseball, because it is hard to stay eligible when you cannot go to class or enroll in other classes. If that's not called getting kicked out, I don't know what is.
The Waltons reluctantly agreed to meet with me Friday night at Thanksgiving Point. I looked Kent Walton in the eye probably three or four times during the course of our hourlong meeting and asked him again and again: "Are you sure there is nothing more you have said or done -- or not done -- that could have caused you to be dismissed from BYU?"
He answered yes each time.
I called his roommate and teammate, Jake Wortham, and got the same response.
Also, I spoke off the record with several sources affiliated with BYU's athletic department who obviously have to remain anonymous or they could potentially lose their jobs. They are flat-out mystified as to why this is happening. Nobody said one negative thing about Kent Walton.
One e-mailer said the article implied that every BYU student -- LDS or not -- has to get their ecclesiastical endorsement from an LDS bishop. I probably should have been more clear on that matter. Non-LDS students, of course, can get their endorsement from leaders of other faiths.
One other minor issue: I was chosen to write the article because my assignment on Friday was to cover breaking sports news of any type. And our BYU beat writer, Rhiannon Potkey, was on the road traveling between Colorado Springs and Laramie.
I don't have an axe to grind with BYU or anything of the sort. Charges that I am somehow biased against the school or LDS Church are hurtful, irresponsible and completely off-base.
10 Comments:
Jay,
Many Mo's feel that ANY legitimate critical perspective on the odd way in which BYU handles these affairs as a direct attack against there religion. Roger Reid/Ken Schmit "forced resignations", honor code violations, etc.. The church is still true everyone, try to relax...
OMG. How apropo! On the day of Hinckley's funeral, another story of the legalistic, mindless details of the hoops that LDS/BYU make people jump thru...
I'd love it if LDS, Inc were to get with the Basics of Christian living: Love for God & neighbor.
At this rate, they'll NEVER Get IT!
earrings, anyone?
I guess my disappointment falls on many levels: A bishop who, rather than be a shepherd to his flock, is a cattle driver who misuses his prod, then reports to the cattle owner that one of the herd isn't staying in the middle of the pack. Parable of the Lost Sheep, anyone? This is not to imply that Kent Walton is a lost sheep, but, really, this decision to use his official attendance record as a way to apply pressure and ultimately disqualify him to be a student at a university is shameful. Especially when you consider that this decision didn't seem to be filtered through ANYONE who would say to the bishop, "You know, I don't see this as something Christ would do. Don't we want to be on Kent's team, rather than on his jury?" Not only did the bishop misuse his stewardship, but caused others to be complicit. THEN, to think that a stake president wouldn't council the bishop - well, it just gets more disturbing. On top of it all, to then try to control the information by telling Kenneth that he shouldn't make this public. It's too late! It was made public when the young man was expelled from a university. I can't think very many of this bishop's flock will ever feel that they can trust the "father" of their ward. He has lost not only a young man, but may lose many of his ward "family". I know there will be those who will defend the bishop, but he needs to stand on his own and I would love to be there when and if he explains it to his student ward. It brings home the fact that when I raise my hand to sustain a leader, that I do so in hopes that he or she will remain trustworthy and will be truly Christian in their calling. I don't raise my hand as an indication that this person can do anything and I will support him/her in it without question. We need to ask the questions. Carolyn Bentley
I am very disturbed that a Bishop and Stake President would do such a thing. I attend only Sacrament meeting weekly because there's way to many Bishop Child's and President Kearl's in the world. Satan's plan was to force people to follow which to me Childs and Kearl are doing. Whatever happened to Christ's plan? These men are just men, not the God's they think they are! Humans are prone to making mistakes. Mistakes can be fixed, so fix this Bishop Child's and President Kearl and apologize for your error in judgement. Only Christ can judge a person, we as humans should give the benefit of the doubt!!!
What really saddens me is that this has the potential to cause this BYU player, His family and close friends to become inactive! How devestating! If anything the Bishop and Stake president should have made thier love for this student/Player known and encougaged him to attend church and not be so quick to dismiss him!Was he given a chance? If he were a non-member would he be required to attend church EVERY Sunday?
Flippin ridiculous Bishop Childs and Pres. Kearls. If the church gets bad publicity over this judgement I hope you realize this was your stupidity that caused it and not the Waltons.
First of all- BYU lost a great player in Walton. Second- there is NO way to know what has really happened between Walten and Childs. It is easy to judge the situation but for those of you who don't know, but the Honor Code is a big deal--I am a BYU student and value it's impact on my experience at BYU. Also, for those of you who are LDS--you know the church is perfect but all of the members aren't--that goes for both student and bishop (and it is his calling).
More than any of the things I commented on I think the bigger issue is that no one ever want to accept consequences for anything! I hear people complaining all the time about no one told me, there wasn't a sign, it's not my fault, it shouldn't be this way. I don't even work for University Parking--which everyone in Provo hates because they impose consequences. I think (myself included) we all need to grow up a little.
I know people will even think my comments are ridiculous but like the first post says 'The church is still true everyone, try to relax...'
I don't know what the standard at BYU student wards is, but where I live, attending your home ward 6 Sundays out of 10 or 11, is considered pretty active. Add the fact that he did attend local wards when he travelled (to his friends or family), and I don't see any attendance problem there.
The original article does state that he was either home sick, or attending other wards while travelling, which also counts as attendance.
There's got to be more to the story that's going unsaid. And the unspoken parts could be about the student or the bishop. We just don't know.
Before you all rush to judge the bishop and stake president... Who was it that gave "lack of church attendance" as the reason for getting kicked out? Kent? Kenneth (the dad)? the Bishop/SP? Perhaps the player was involved in some kind of "activity" and confessed it to the Bishop or the Bishop found out about it somehow and spoke to Kent about it. Such a discussion would be confidential and the Bishop/SP would not divuldge the contents to a newspaper. So out of LOVE for Kent, and not to further embarrass him, they would not reveal exactly why he was "kicked out."
I highly doubt not going to church enough was the principle reason for his dismissal.
Do you really want the Bishop/SP to publicly reveal the rationale behind their decision to dismiss a particular student?
BYU Coug Fans should be totally ashamed at the way the assistant coaches have prepped the team. In spite of this players unfortunate problems and distractions, the other issues compound the problem. Vance Law is a super individual and Manager, but his assistants should be fired for not preparing the the team. From Pitching, base running, and fielding, this has got to be one of the worst BYU teams ever. Unless the player goes the jail, they fire coaches, not players for this kind of performance. Vance trusted you guys to do your job and nope it didn't happen. Talk is cheap and you guys are out of excuses. Bring back the winning days...if SUU sweeps you and you passed on some of those guys that are worthy, than get out of the way and lets hold the baseball team to same standard as the other teams at BYU. So rise and shout, assistant coaches get out.
Post a Comment
<< Home