The media blowback continues for UFC fighter Jacob Volkmann, who’s learning that a few ill-timed words can be more damaging than a few choice punches. Today we get word that White Bear Lake High School in Minnesota, where Volkmann has worked as an assistant wrestling coach for three years, has put him on administrative leave pending an investigation of his comments about President Obama.
Here’s the Volkmann-Obama backstory right here.
“We are conducting an investigation and he’s been placed on paid administrative leave while we’re investigating,” Chris Picha, Director of Personnel at White Bear Lake HS told MMA Fighting.
“The parents are all calling up,” Volkmann said. “The HR lady, Chris Picha, is making the decision. She is the one that will decide whether I can come back or not.”
Volkmann told Cagewriter that he’s also been getting threats via email.
“They put me on paid administrative leave because of my comment,” Volkmann told Franklin McNeil on ESPN.com. “They said I represented the school in a bad way. I’m kind of irritated about that whole thing. So I can’t coach because I have an opinion? That really irritates me.”
In addition to MMA fighting, where Volkmann told Fox Business he made less than $60,000 last year, Volkmann also has a chiropractic business and teaches high school wrestling.
Of course, what many are forgetting is that there’s a difference between simply voicing your political opinion, and coming out of the blue with a “I’d like to knock some sense into that idiot” about the President of the U.S. Even so, this whole thing is getting …
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Jacob Volkmann Placed on Paid Administrative Leave From Job [MMA Fighting]
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- shaunri - Jan 12, 2011 at 6:25 PM
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He has the right to say what he wants and his employer has the right to determine in light of his comments whether he fits what they are looking for in an employee. This is especially true for a high school coach who, as part of their job, are supposed to model behavior for student athletes. If he had been talking about the principal of the school he works at instead of the President, however, he would have already been fired.
He appears to be first of hopefully many across the political/celebrity/media spectrum to be reminded that the right to free speech does not mean that your words will not have consequences. If he limited himself to “I don’t like the President”, there would not have been a problem. While I don’t care for her, I’d feel the same if he had directed his comment towards Michele Bachmann. We’d be a better society if more people took Thomas Jefferson’s advice and counted to 10 before they spoke, giving their brain time to catch up with their vocal cords.
