Pepper Spray University Gets Schooled About PR

In November 2011 the worldwide Occupy Movement reached the campus of the University of California at Davis. Protesters staging a sit-down strike were pepper-sprayed by UC Davis campus police in riot gear. It wasn’t a pretty picture, and outrage spread across the country and the Web. Now the Sacramento Bee has discovered that the UC Davis administration spent at least $175,000 trying to scrub bad publicity about the ugly incident from the Internet and repair the school’s reputation.

Understandably, news of the cover-up attempt has sparked fresh outrage, new campus demonstrations, and calls for the Chancellor’s resignation. And, despite the scrubbing effort, the 2011 UC Davis pepper spray incident is now a Google trending topic.

More:

“UC Davis gets caught in a PR coverup,” San Francisco Chronicle editorial

Expense Account Adultery

Today’s Government Executive Tip: Travel expenses for adulterous trysts are not reimbursable.

San Diego State University Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel resigned yesterday after being cited for “improper use of state funds.” In January, Mr. Schemmel traveled to the resort city of Point Clear, Alabama for a romantic interlude with Carolyn Lineberger. The two are married, but not to each other.

Mr.  Schemmel, who earned $257,000 annually at SDSU, claimed $460 in reimbursements on his university expense account for the adulterous excursion. The university punished the disgraced executive by paying him $116,000 and forgiving a $20,000 home loan payment, apparently drawn on some kind of non-governmental Athletic Department slush fund.