Former lieutenant governor and current Congressman Anthony Brown, Maryland Democrat, has responded to the University of Maryland’s decision to reinstate football coach D.J. Durkin by calling for Durkin and athletic director Damon Evans to be fired.
Rep. Brown, who represents Maryland’s 4th District, also said James T. Brady should resign as chair of the University System of Maryland Board of Regents for “the extreme callousness & ineptitude he demonstrated by putting his own personal agenda ahead of the welfare of our students.”
UMD athletic staff failed Jordan McNair & the Regents failed him again.
— Anthony G. Brown (@RepAnthonyBrown) October 31, 2018
DJ Durkin & Damon Evans should be fired. Board Chairman Brady should resign for the extreme callousness & ineptitude he demonstrated by putting his own personal agenda ahead of the welfare of our students
Jordan’s tragic death was preventable & the appropriate way to honor his legacy was to urgently making meaningful changes
— Anthony G. Brown (@RepAnthonyBrown) October 31, 2018
Rather than take necessary action, the Board of Regents’ highest priority was to reinstate football coach DJ Durkin. This is appalling and unconscionable
Jordan McNair’s life matters. As a father and a University of Maryland parent, I urge the entire UMD community to come together and reject this litany of excuses and demand accountability https://t.co/rJ4P3uGxAQ
— Anthony G. Brown (@RepAnthonyBrown) October 31, 2018
The board of regents and university president Wallace D. Loh announced Tuesday that they would reinstate Durkin from a paid administrative leave and keep Evans in place as athletic director.
An independent commission’s investigation concluded that the culture within the football program should not be labeled “toxic,” but players feared speaking out against abusive tactics by former strength coach Rick Court and others.
It was reported that the regents’ highest priority was to keep Durkin employed, despite supposed opposition to that idea by Loh, who has now announced he will retire in June.
The regents oversee Maryland’s 12 public universities. Brown appears to be the highest-ranking lawmaker so far to call for Durkin to be fired.
Brown ran for governor of Maryland in 2014 but lost to Republican Larry Hogan.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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