To the editor:

It is readily apparent to me that the athletic director has carefully orchestrated the events that have taken place over the past week with the football coach, team and program. The athletic director may not care about the future of any aspect of KU, but as an alumna, I do.

The current situation should be about the integrity of the institution that is KU and respect for the people it educates, has educated and will educate in the future. From my vantage point, the personal attack campaign that is being played out in the media has done nothing but personally damage Coach Mangino and his family, in addition to damaging the integrity of KU.

If the allegations against Coach Mangino are worthy of punishment, then I must ask where the athletic director and his department have been the past eight years in the governance of KU’s football program. While I believe the current maelstrom created by the athletic director has backed the university into a corner and the chancellor will have no choice but to let Coach Mangino go, I also believe that she has no other alternative other than to dismiss the athletic director as well, for his apparent lack of oversight over the football program. The integrity of KU cannot be restored if the chancellor chooses to rid the school of Coach Mangino but not the athletic director.

Parting ways with the athletic director will be the first step made toward restoring the integrity of our great university.