Editor,
Athletics Director Paul Krebs is following the human resources “standards” for progressive discipline against coach Locksley with a verbal and written reprimand. However, just as the coaches are hired using a different standard, they are disciplined differently. Any regular staff member who hit another would have been, at the very least, put on administrative leave without pay or fired
immediately. “Locks” has shown he has no regard for the rules we all must follow and Krebs is going along with it. There is a pattern developing here: verbal abuse against staff, whereby someone was forced to retire and then filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit and is now being retaliated against by “Locks” through his counter suit.
Now there is physical abuse against staff, albeit another coach. This is an escalation of abuse. This pattern creates a hostile working environment for everyone in Athletics: staff, coaches and especially the students, who look to the coach as a role model, as a good example. I see no role model or good example here.
You want to keep good staff and recruit students with talent. You’re not going to have either, not as long as coach Locksley is still at UNM. However, UNM can’t afford to buy out his contract, not while still paying Rocky Long. But UNM can afford to pay for the logo at the Rail Runner stop to bring fans to see the Lobos play football or basketball.
Bad behavior is a deterrent, not an inducement to bring people to the stadium. This is a failure to everyone who works at UNM and those who study here.
Catherine Osborn
UNM staff
