The University of South Florida dean whose involvement in a bicycle theft was caught on tape will be paid $50,000 in return for his resignation.
The case of the stolen bicycle was solved last week when a surveillance video showing the entire caper was posted on YouTube.com.
The video clearly shows an associate dean in the College of Medicine and another man participating in the theft. Reports say that he admitted to taking the bicycle and is on leave while the matter is investigated.
The St. Petersburg Times reported USF said it is paying the dean to resign. That cancels the need for any disciplinary hearing, and the dean agrees not to sue the college. Further:
“And both he and the USF vow to “refrain from expressing (or causing others to express) to any person or in any forum/medium, any derogatory or negative opinions” concerning one another. “
The 4:30-minute video shows a woman parking a bicycle at the loading dock of the Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center on Monday evening. About an hour later, a van pulls up, the college dean and another man get out, check out several bikes, then leave with one in the van.
Statement
The college dean, who earns $384,000 a year, explained that a man who does odd jobs for him needed a bicycle, and they went to get one at the university. Tampa Bay Online carried his statement:
“I deeply regret this failure in judgment and the unfortunate attention it has generated…. I gave a man who does odd jobs for me permission to use a bicycle that was parked at the center. I acted out of compassion for this nearly homeless man; but I failed to consider that the bicycle belonged to someone on our Alzheimer's team…
“It was a terrible lapse in judgment on my part; I have no excuse. I can only say that my intention was never to bring harm, alarm, or disruption to anyone.”
Clueless
I was surprised at the time that a man who's responsible for overseeing research grants at a hospital could be so absolutely clueless as to take a person's bike and give it to someone else.
Did he think he was Robin Hood? Taking a bicycle from a student isn't necessarily taking from the rich to give to the poor. By the way, he makes $384,000 a year in salary. You'd think he could afford a second-hand bike to give to his friend.
The theft was reported on Tuesday. To add insult to injury, a university spokesman said that campus police did not see the surveillance tape until it appeared on YouTube on Wednesday.
Drop charges
The owner of the bicycle — he had lent it to the woman in the video — said he met with the assistant dean after the video was shown to police. According to the owner, he was asked to tell police it was all a misunderstanding.
According to the TampaBay.com last week, the dean said he told the bike owner:
“I told him 'I'm sorry. This is a misunderstanding.' And, if you can, consider dropping the charges.”
Here's an interview with the other man in the video. He claims it was all his idea, and he talked the assistant dean into the theft. They both told the police that they thought the bikes were abandoned.
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