An open government expert says UCF is taking a very dangerous position by giving the title of vice president of athletics at a public university to its newly hired director of athletics.
Frank LoMonte, director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information at UF, said if UCF’s new director of athletics is going to serve as a university vice president, the hiring decision should be made in the open — not behind closed doors.
LoMonte, who replied to Knight News’ request for comment before UCF made the official hiring announcement Tuesday, said if the vice president is hired in a process that is not legally valid, any decision that person makes would be under a legal cloud and subject to challenge.
LoMonte said if Terry Mohajir will only work for the athletics association — the private organization within the public university, and not serve as a university vice president — then UCF Athletics Association may not have a problem making the hire in a closed-door process.
Records obtained by Knights News on Tuesday indicate that Mohajir will serve not only as UCF’s new vice president and director of athletics but also as the president of the UCF Athletics Association.
Despite other Florida universities, like Florida State, providing its athletics’ search firm contracts, UCF said the contract with the search firm is with the UCF Athletics Association and any records that Knight News is requesting pertaining to applications and nominations would be exempt from disclosure.
The University of Florida is one example of an institution that appears to have noticed the potential problems with combining the two roles.
UF Director of Athletics Scott Strickland’s official title does not include the title vice president, although he is listed among those with the title on the president’s cabinet.
LoMonte said a university president cannot delegate away the authority to hire vice presidents.
“Imagine if a person showed up at the doorstep one day and said ‘hi, I’m the new vice president for academic affairs. Walt Disney Corp. decided to hire me, so I’ll be moving into this nice office and making academic decisions from now on.’ They’d call security and have the guy thrown out,” he said.
He said the athletic association does not have the authority to install people into university administrative positions, like the vice president of athletics role.
“Clearly, the university president intends to make that hire,” LoMonte said in an email to Knight News before the official announcement. “If it is a presidential hire, then it is a governmental decision subject to the Open Records Act, period.”
Mohajir is already at UCF full time and he will meet with many of the university’s head coaches, staff, and student-athletes this week, UCF said on Tuesday.
UCF has so far refused to release any public records to Knight News pertaining to the search — or the contract with the search firm — for UCF’s new vice president of athletics.
Knight News obtained the record of the memorandum of understanding regarding Mohajir’s employment offer on Tuesday.
This is a developing story.
Check back with Knight News for updates.
