Michigan released staffer after online video alleged underage solicitation

Submitted by mgeoffriau on November 2nd, 2023 at 1:21 PM

Michigan released staffer after online video alleged underage solicitation

Michigan football released a low-level staffer earlier this fall after a social media video claimed he was soliciting someone who he allegedly believed to be a minor, sources told The Michigan Insider. 

Alex Yood, a low-level staffer within the program, was the subject of an Instagram video that claimed he was purchasing liquor ahead of what he thought was a meeting with an underage girl. The Michigan football program released Yood after the video was published, TMI was told. 

In the words of Alex Drain: Not great!

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Michfan777

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:30 PM ^

This always happens when something gets in the spotlight. Every action and step is being looked into for a few weeks until the spotlight moves to another topic.

Unfortunately, this spotlight will be here for quite some time, so expect lots of “A trainer named Sara reported a trainer named John of using a derogatory term from last year: Does Michigan football have a rampant sexism problem?” stories to emerge….even though the staffer was fired way back then.

Obviously, this story is creepy and gross, but it tracks with what I expect we see over the coming month or two - where anything that can be twisted to look like the program is a hive for scum and villainy.

Joined: 10/10/2018

MGoPoints: 24580

Blau

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^

Well the college football microscope has really focused itself on Harbaugh and the program over the past two weeks. Now any discrepancy that cast doubts on the state of the program is going to also be examined.

Sort of like when you didn't keep your room cleaned as a teenager so your parents finally clean it for you and find your bag of weed.

Good Rule of Thumb: Don't give anyone a reason to look around, keep your stash from plain view, and if you get caught, be the first to acknowledge it so you control the narrative. People forget that the American sports media is actually pretty forgiving over time and the 24-hour news cycle helps wash off the dirt as long as folks have something else to gripe about. I believe this is eventually what Harbaugh and the AD did by imposing the self-sanctioned ban at the beginning of the season to get the NCAA off their back. Here's to hoping they can do the same if needed again. 

Joined: 01/23/2014

MGoPoints: 35394

south875

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:31 PM ^

What a coincidence that this was previously undiscovered until a two week shit storm of allegations was underway.  Unless he has a criminal history of doing this before he was hired, they did the right thing.  Maybe he should have been fired into the sun, but I don't know if that is logistically possible.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 885

1989 UM GRAD

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:45 PM ^

MeanJoe, not sure about Hitler, but we did once have Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in our corner!

While he was a despicable human being, he was right about U of M returning to its glory days.

(I would like many upvotes for correctly posting this link.)

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2018/10/17/michigan-football-iran-president-mahmoud-ahmadinejad/1668260002/

 

Joined: 03/08/2012

MGoPoints: 1531330

BlueTimesTwo

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:34 PM ^

I assume that tomorrow we will find out that JH was on the grassy knoll?

Hopefully nothing comes of this, because otherwise hiring PIs and committing PR sabotage of public institutions will become the norm.  And hoo boy, all of our rivals had better have their house in order, because I wouldn't be surprised if some well-off folks decided that it was worth investing in having PIs watch every move of Day and his entire staff going forward.  

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 13516

bronxblue

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:35 PM ^

I mean, Michigan fired the guy once they found out what he allegedly did.  That's...what you expect to happen.  I can't tell which video they're actually referencing in that post because that site has a ton of videos and the link is just to the account but I assume there's something there.

I will add that Insta account seems pretty sketchy given the fact one of the posts I saw was about him starting a class for $100/pop to recruit people to help try to "catch predators" online.  This reminds me of a podcast I listened to recently about these catch-a-predator imitators and how their methods are pretty shady and oftentimes have dubious results.

Anyway, glad UM fired him if he did this but I also am not looking forward to literally anyone associated with the AD being let go as a searing indictment of this school.  

EDIT:  Saw the video.  Yeah, not good.  

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 172085

Brhino

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:35 PM ^

So first of all definitely doing anything with an underaged individual is not okay and should be handled appropriately, which it sounds like it was.  

But... I'm sorry, what?  There's a social media video of an adult buying alcohol, and somehow there's an allegation that he has criminal plans afterwards, so we're just going to put all that on instagram and suddenly it's a news item?  Am I just behind in the times or am I right in being bewildered by the whole sequence of events?  

Joined: 09/08/2009

MGoPoints: 19549

njvictor

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:40 PM ^

I mean this is obviously a bad look, but seems like Michigan handled it as well as they could've. I'm not sure why people are framing this as a hiring process issue. There is no "pedophile test" available when hiring someone

Joined: 07/20/2017

MGoPoints: 65645

ShaunTheEdifice

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:44 PM ^

It’s open season on UofM now. In any organization as large as this, weird stuff happens. It’s a statistical probability. All of ours is just getting brought to the surface right now. I’m glad they responded quickly and removed this guy. But it’s just more fuel for the fire at this point. Media loves it.  

Joined: 01/02/2022

MGoPoints: 636

GoBlueZ06

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:44 PM ^

So they fired someone immediately upon learning of something terrible. Good.

Obviously vetting process etc, but the fact that OSU et al. are trying to use this as a "gotcha" portion of this PR nonsense is pathetic and gross.

Joined: 10/31/2020

MGoPoints: 1965

benjamin

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:58 PM ^

Unless this person had a history of this type of behavior, then I wouldn't even consider this a vetting issue. U-M employs 35k people. On any given day, someone can do something stupid, but that doesn't make hiring that person a vetting issue.

I do agree with you otherwise tho. This is some BS attempt to get clicks and paint U-M as having lost institutional control. Obviously, that is bullshit because Michigan did the right thing in firing the guy.

Joined: 12/18/2008

MGoPoints: 1342

benjamin

November 2nd, 2023 at 1:52 PM ^

"Not great!"? It sounds like Michigan did precisely what it should do. It would have been "not great" if they hadn't appropriately resolved the issue months ago.

Joined: 12/18/2008

MGoPoints: 1342