Tim Wolfe resigned Monday as president of the University of Missouri.
He stepped down – or possibly was nudged out – after a group of protesters claimed he was not quick enough to address allegations of racism on campus. Not sure that any school administrator this side of Dumbledore could eliminate racism or sexism (or binge drinking, for that matter) when you are dealing with tens of thousands of people from diverse backgrounds in a close environment.
Jay GreesonBut Wolfe, who had vowed not to resign as late as Sunday afternoon, resigned before lunch Monday, largely because the black football players at Missouri joined the protest. Almost three dozen players took to social media saying they would not participate in football-related activities until Wolfe left his job.
The lessons here are meaningful.
Money is a lever of power. The football players at Missouri wielded that power. Their promised boycott threatened Saturday’s game in Kansas City against BYU; a turn of events that would have cost the university $1 million or more.