In The News – Drum Corps Chairman Resigns Amid Scrutiny Of His Hiring Of Disgraced Teacher

[garfield]

37 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

It may turn out to be.  But to answer your question, here is the distinction. 

DCI is in the midst of a significant change, where they will take on a new oversight role for the corps that participate in DCI events.  Policies and procedures regarding harassment, whistleblower, etc., will no longer be left to the unfettered discretion of each corps.  The job of spearheading the DCI approach to this new responsibility belongs to the chairman of the DCI board of directors.  Obviously, that person needs to be someone whose own judgment on such matters is widely accepted.  Since Fred Morrison does not fit that bill, he has stepped aside so that someone better suited for the task can take over.

Meanwhile, back in San Antonio, Morrison made a decision regarding "second chances" back in 2012 that is no longer acceptable under the newly developing standards.  He has adjusted his stance on that issue, and Moody is gone.  Whether or not Morrison deserves a second chance is a matter for debate.  Also up for debate is whether anyone else is better suited for the task of Crossmen executive director.

1

Yea, see, we don't know this.

It's entirely possible that he has adjusted his stance, but it's also entirely possible that he simply stepped aside for the reasons he stated, that his personal beliefs should not be a distraction to the greater activity.

Moody is gone, certainly, but my understanding is that Morrison's decision was based on strong personal beliefs and was not made lightly.  I suspect his personal beliefs are not as malleable as to be "adjusted" by pitchforks and a baying crowd.

Some say that his convictions warrant his removal from X-men.

 

[MusicManNJ]

16 minutes ago, garfield said:

It's entirely possible that he has adjusted his stance, but it's also entirely possible that he simply stepped aside for the reasons he stated, that his personal beliefs should not be a distraction to the greater activity.

Moody is gone, certainly, but my understanding is that Morrison's decision was based on strong personal beliefs and was not made lightly.  I suspect his personal beliefs are not as malleable as to be "adjusted" by pitchforks and a baying crowd.

Some say that his convictions warrant his removal from X-men.

 

He did not adjust his stance. He stepped aside so his convictions would not become an issue for DCI. He is a man of integrity and conviction. People may not agree but that does not mean he is not entitled to his own beliefs.

Those who say this is cause for his dismissal from XMEN fail to recognize that it is his integrity that has generated support for the corps. He is not going anywhere.

[JimF-LowBari]

21 minutes ago, MusicManNJ said:

He did not adjust his stance. He stepped aside so his convictions would not become an issue for DCI. He is a man of integrity and conviction. People may not agree but that does not mean he is not entitled to his own beliefs.

Those who say this is cause for his dismissal from XMEN fail to recognize that it is his integrity that has generated support for the corps. He is not going anywhere.

Sorry but how much support will it generate or lose when people find out he hid Moody’s background. 

[Quad Aces]

38 minutes ago, MusicManNJ said:

Those who say this is cause for his dismissal from XMEN fail to recognize that it is his integrity that has generated support for the corps. He is not going anywhere.

Thank you to those who mentioned that Moody is gone from Crossmen, as I honestly lost track of that point.

Same question I had before, though:

Why was Moody not allowed to teach youth at a school, but Fred Morrison thought that it was ok for him to teach in DCI, second chance or not?

[mingusmonk]

1 hour ago, MusicManNJ said:

He did not adjust his stance. He stepped aside so his convictions would not become an issue for DCI. He is a man of integrity and conviction. People may not agree but that does not mean he is not entitled to his own beliefs.

Those who say this is cause for his dismissal from XMEN fail to recognize that it is his integrity that has generated support for the corps. He is not going anywhere.

 

Are is integrity and convictions up for change? Can they develop? Ultimately, would he do this again?

(EDIT: Want to make it clear that I am not suggesting a fundamental change in belief system, but a change within limits. Balancing his personal drive to provide second chances with the safety of the youth within his charge)

It seems obvious that people people don't understand the danger of his actions. Including himself ... at least, until hopefully now. Would his convictions compel him to do this again?

Edited May 21, 2018 by mingusmonk

[cixelsyd]

1 hour ago, garfield said:

Yea, see, we don't know this.

It's entirely possible that he has adjusted his stance, but it's also entirely possible that he simply stepped aside for the reasons he stated, that his personal beliefs should not be a distraction to the greater activity.

Moody is gone, certainly, but my understanding is that Morrison's decision was based on strong personal beliefs and was not made lightly.  I suspect his personal beliefs are not as malleable as to be "adjusted" by pitchforks and a baying crowd.

 

True, Moody resigning does not necessarily indicate a change in stance by Morrison.  I have edited my post accordingly.

[MikeD]

19 minutes ago, mingusmonk said:

 

Are is integrity and convictions up for change? Can they develop? Ultimately, would he do this again?

 

It seems obvious that people people don't understand the danger of his actions. Including himself ... at least, until hopefully now. Would his convictions compel him to do this again?

I would hope that people grow and evolve as they go through life and are exposed to new and varied experiences. The events that triggered the MeToo movement are, IMO, a game-changer that will hopefully lead to a LOT of change in many areas, including drum corps. I have no idea if Fred would do the same thing today that he did in 2012 in hiring Moody with his background "baggage", but my gut feeling is that he would look at these things differently today...at least I hope so. Whether at the end of the day it would change his hiring approach is speculation. 

 

[garfield]

35 minutes ago, Quad Aces said:

Thank you to those who mentioned that Moody is gone from Crossmen, as I honestly lost track of that point.

Same question I had before, though:

Why was Moody not allowed to teach youth at a school, but Fred Morrison thought that it was ok for him to teach in DCI, second chance or not?

Checking to see if my response is still on topic...

I want to caution against singling out Fred Morrison in these discussions, even as he is at the subject's center at the moment.  I think the bigger question you bring up is pertinent:  Are there significant-enough differences in the two programs (formal public schools versus drum corps) that the rules established at public schools simply don't work in drum corps?

Since many drum corps staff members are public school teachers, is drum corps getting the benefit of public school harassment training anyway, sufficient or otherwise?

Isn't the Moody example one that shows public schools with firm policies are still subject to the problems we're trying to eliminate in corps?

 

[garfield]

1 minute ago, MikeD said:

I would hope that people grow and evolve as they go through life and are exposed to new and varied experiences. The events that triggered the MeToo movement are, IMO, a game-changer that will hopefully lead to a LOT of change in many areas, including drum corps. I have no idea if Fred would do the same thing today that he did in 2012 in hiring Moody with his background "baggage", but my gut feeling is that he would look at these things differently today...at least I hope so. Whether at the end of the day it would change his hiring approach is speculation. 

 

 

I didn't want to change your post, Mike, but I wonder if your first sentence would relate to more people if it read:

"I would hope that people grow and evolve as they go through life and are exposed to [the pressure exerted on them by those who feel differently than they do on important issues such as harassment]?"

Of course, neither Fred nor anyone else is required to share the same beliefs in order to operate a drum corps under the rules set by DCI.  Rather, they simply have to follow the rules established under others' belief sets.

 

[MikeD]

44 minutes ago, Quad Aces said:

Thank you to those who mentioned that Moody is gone from Crossmen, as I honestly lost track of that point.

Same question I had before, though:

Why was Moody not allowed to teach youth at a school, but Fred Morrison thought that it was ok for him to teach in DCI, second chance or not?

The only information that seems to be available and that gives us any insight into Fred's thinking are two third-party statements in the original article. One staff person stated that Morrison told him he knew about Moody, but in his view he deserved a second chance. The other person stated that Morrison told him Moody had "paid his penance" and that he (Morrison) wanted the matter dropped". 

Whether you or I agree with what Morrison did, he made his decision in 2012 and stuck with it for a number of years. It does not appear that he made the decision in a vacuum...he knew Moody's history, and he apparently felt in his own heart that Moody was OK to hire.