Michigan fires the firm that failed to vet Shemy Schembechler - 'It's not who we are'
Michigan has fired the firm that failed to vet Shemy Schembechler, who was hired May 17 as an assistant director of recruiting. Schembechler’s social media history reportedly included likes of racist posts before he scrubbed his account.
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“I’ve known Shem a long time, but there are no sacred cows,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said at the National College Showcase camp at Wayne State. “That’s not who we are.
“I’ve read the report myself. We have a company that vets that, social media, and they came back and [cleared him]. We’ve got a new company doing that, but they’ve got to be better. I’ll take responsibility for that. If somebody can find that in a day, then we have to be better ourselves.”
Schembechler, son of late Michigan football coaching legend Bo Schembechler, resigned May 20 after his twitter activity came to light.
“Once we became aware of things that were just offensive, offensive to me, offensive to other members of our team, we just didn’t want that mindset around,” Harbaugh said. “It’s disappointing, you know? I’ve known Shemy for a long time. But there are no sacred cows. It’s not who we are. It’s not us.”
Schembechler has worked in the NFL for years as a scout, most recently the Las Vegas Raiders. His hiring had been in the works for several weeks — he even had a parking spot at Schembechler Hall during spring football. But Harbaugh and Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel released a joint statement announcing Schembechler had resigned his position three days after his hiring was announced.
“We are aware of some comments and likes on social media that have caused concern and pain for individuals in our community,” the joint statement read. “Michigan athletics is fully committed to a place where our coaches, staff and student-athletes feel welcome and where we fully support the University’s and Athletic Department’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
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Michigan now moves on in search of someone to replace him, while Schembechler looks to repair his reputation.
“Any words or philosophies that in any way seek to underplay the immeasurable suffering and long-term economic and social inequities that hundreds of years of slavery and the “Jim Crow” era caused for Black Americans is wrong. I was wrong,” he said through an Arizona PR firm, referring to a tweet he ‘liked.’ “We must never sanitize morally unsanitary, historical behaviors that have hindered the Black community, or any other community. There are no historical silver linings for the experience of our brothers and sisters.
“While disappointed in my flippant behavior on Twitter, those who know me best like Stony Burks, Pierre Woods and many others will confirm what they know to be true in my heart and head. Let this be another unfortunate example of exercising better caution and judgment on social media, not just to avoid infringing on your lifetime commitments, core values and ideals, but to help the march of even more progress for our melting pot.
“My sincerest apologies, again and profusely, to anyone I offended, to the great institution that is the University of Michigan and to the broader athletic community I have been honored to dedicate my life’s work with the integrity and decency inspired by my family over the decades. We have all made mistakes which is why I hope for forgiveness based on my expansive life’s work, and not any moment of indiscretion.”
