#TruthDontLie. It just gets covered up.

Baylor’s doing a bang-up job explaining itself these days.  Here’s Art Briles’ idea of going on offense:

#BeCourageous?  Seriously?

Meanwhile, for some unknown reason, the AD took to the airwaves to answer some questions about the cesspool the school has fallen into.  The results were beyond awkward.

Baylor AD Ian McCaw on @SiriusXMCollege if there was any cover-up collaboration b/w Baylor & Waco Police: “Not to my knowledge”

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 19, 2016

McCaw on what is the right action when a victim comes forth with allegations of sexual assault: “That’s a Title IX matter.”

— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) May 19, 2016

I am reminded of the old joke about the difference between apathy and ignorance here, except McCaw doesn’t strike me as much of a kidder.

Meanwhile, the Waco Tribune-Herald seems to have awakened from its slumber.  (Don’t take my word for that.  Andy Staples writes, “On Thursday, Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw told SiriusXM’s Full Ride show that there was no cover-up of which he was aware. He may be correct, but only for the most pathetic reason. Cover-ups aren’t required when no one is looking. The beat writing corps that covers Baylor isn’t the most aggressive. Had these incidents taken place at Ohio State, Texas, LSU or any school that draws major coverage, they’d have been reported on almost immediately. Reporters would have noticed names on police blotters, or they would have team or police sources that would leak that sort of information. ESPN would not be uncovering incidents from years earlier because they would have been reported on all along. No one was looking at Baylor, so Baylor coaches and officials continued to make terrible decisions without being questioned about them. This doesn’t excuse anyone, nor should it lessen any punitive action that might be taken, but it helps explain how this mess continued for so long.”)  The newspaper requested reports received by the Baylor University Police Department of sexual assaults and other improper sexual conduct during the past 20 years back in February.  After reducing the scope of that Open Records request, the paper was faced with the school’s refusal to release the information.

Instead, Baylor asked the Texas Attorney General’s office to weigh in on its obligations.  The result was mixed.

In an opinion received by the Tribune-Herald on Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Ellen Webking wrote that portions of some documents submitted to her office by Baylor must be released. Webking wrote that other records Baylor claims must be withheld under the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act were not ruled on because Baylor did not submit examples of those reports based on student privacy concerns.

The opinion does not clarify which aspects of the reports should be withheld.

“The (Baylor police) department asserts the remaining requested information is subject to FERPA and has not submitted this information to our office for review,” Webking wrote in her opinion. “Because the department has not submitted this information to our office for review to determine if this information consists of a law enforcement record to which FERPA does not apply, we must rely on the department’s assertion this information is subject to FERPA.”

Gee, it must be nice to set your own rules like that.

“I think it is interesting that Baylor asserts that FERPA precludes them from releasing information from law enforcement records but they didn’t submit any documents to the attorney general’s office to review because they say FERPA prohibits them from sharing those documents. I guess they are asking you to take their word for it,” Maddox said.

Well, the Texas AG is a Baylor grad, so why shouldn’t he?

These people make Greg McGarity look like a PR master.  The sad thing is they’ll all probably weather the storm.