8 - The Michigan Daily - Wedpesday, May 28, 1997
Flint radio station files suit against 'U' for denying FOIA
FISHER
Continued from Page 1.
work and network with a lot of people, you can find
yourself never being able to recruit certain areas."
The recently released documents are detailed
transcripts of interviews between Fisher and
his assistants and athletic department and
NCAA officials, which were previously edited
and summarized in the joint inquiry report the
University submitted to the NCAA in early
March in response to the allegations.
Throughout the transcripts Martin's name
has been deleted, but in an interview with The
Detroit News, Martin confirmed that the com-
ments refer to him.
The relationship between Martin, the
Michigan basketball program and its coaching
staff has been a major focus of a current
University investigation into allegations made
against the program.
Fisher adamantly defended his ethics in all
dealings with Martin.
"If there's one thing I take great pride in and
I have said this before ... my integrity, Fisher
first, my family and a close second to this
University and what it represents," Fisher told
investigators.
"I have bent over backwards to handle
myself in situations in a way that I would be
beyond reproach on that."
In relation to the allegations, Flint attorney
David Leyton filed a civil lawsuit 14 months
ago against the University for denying a FOIA
request.
Leyton's client,
WFDF talk show host
Dave Barber, requested
the Student Athlete
Automobile Information ,
Sheet on former
Michigan forward
Maurice Taylor's Ford
Explorer.y
Genesee County
Court Judge Judith
Fullerman dismissed the
case. Fisher
Leyton filed a for-
mal appeal to Fullerman's decision.
"The Michigan Appeals Court will issue a
decision on whether or not the case was prop-
erly dismissed," Leyton said.
"It is difficult to predict what the Court of
Appeals will do. This document is not in viola-
tion of the student's privacy. It's seven ques-
tions about, who, if anyone, helped the student
to obtain the vehicle."
A press release distributed by the radio sta-
tion yesterday implies that Fullerman's acade-
mic career and friendship with Regent Olivia
Maynard (D-Flint) may have had influence in
the decision.
Maynard said that the charge against her is
"ridiculous."
"No judge pulls away from every University
of Michigan graduate," Maynard said. "That is
impossible. We span too far and wide. I haven't
even talked to the judge about (the case).
(Barber) is totally incorrect."
Leyton said he does not believe Maynard
played any part in the decision.
"I categorically don't buy into that," Leyton
said. "This is strictly a legal issue. It's not
about the judge or Maynard."
To date, the University has encountered only
two minor NCAA violations involving Martin.
But in response to allegations claiming that
Martin may have provided players with monetary
gifts, the University hired a private firm special-
izing in NCAA infractions and compliance.
The Kansas-based firm, Schoeneck, Bond &
King, is currently investigating the allega-
tions.
Senior Associate Athletic Director Keith
Molin said he hopes the firm will complete its
investigation by mid to late summer.
In Fisher's words:
The folowing are excerpts from an interview
that took place on Sept. 15, 1996 with
Michigan coach Steve Fisher, assistant coach
Scott Perry, Athletic Director Joe Roberson and
Faculty Athletic Representative Percy Bates,
On Martin:
1 '1 classify him really now as a 'Basketball
Junkie' and I think there's hundreds of these
type of guys around the country that are around
basketball and around kids and it's someone
that you are going to come into contact with.
You can't avoid the contact with them, you
know, and I'm the type of person that's going to
be cordial with them. In fact, since I've known
him for so long, you know, so 1, I have a very,
you know amicable relationship when I would
see him.'
R 'If you don't network and network with a lot
of people, you can find yourself never being able
to recruit certain areas.'
" 'Before, if people would call, who were friend-
ly to the program from the city of Detroit and
say 'can I come to the game,' we would put
that person down and say 'Friend of the
Program' and give them 'complementary' tick-
ets-"
'
n of 'M' basketball program:
Jan. 23, 1997: Michigan coach Steve Fisher and assistant
coach Scott Perry are interviewed by assistant athletic
Director Jeff Long and Robert Vowels from the Big Ten
Conference Office. The interview examines their relation-
ships with Martin and their knowledge of the allegations
against the program.
Feb. 7, 1997: The University submits a more extensive
report to the NCAA.
March, 1997: The University disassociates Martin from
the basketball program.
March 10,1997: The University publically releases the
joint inquiry report to the NCAA in response to allegations
involving the basketball program.
March 17, 1997: The University hires Kansas-based law
firm Schoeneck, Bond & King to investigate the allega-
tions.
Biking to work
i MAW : *: *
101
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JULLY PARK/Daily
Longtime Ann Arbor resident Jim Freeman commutes to his workplace,
Wilderness Outfitters, every day. Last week, May 18-24, was national Bike-
to-Work Week.
wo*f
L or
INTERNET
Continued from Page 2
in the future, libraries will have to
"just do a better job of integrating the
digital and hand-held resources."
"We have a good start, but we
have a long way to go," Simcox
said.
The site is expansive, yet easy to
navigate.
"We've found that it changes peo-
ple's ideas of what is available to
them," Simcox said.
Janes says that what started as a
class project is now a service with
aboat 1,000 links to other sites,
each with an abstract describing that
site.
"It's the only place I would go for
an online book," Graff said. "Their
collection is fantastic."
Along with the $200,000 Andrew W
Mellon Foundation grant, the School of
Information has also assisted in fund-
ing IPL.
IPL is looking into several possibili-
ties for future funding, including a cor-
porate partner.
The site has won several awards
already, and many other sites point td
IPL for related information.
"It's one of the best things on the
Internet, period," Graff said.
1220 S. University, Ste.208
Above McDonald's
Ann Arbor
TeL : 313-998-0200