Seven of the U’s 12 student hosts were fired Nov. 14 after a high school student under their care broke both of his wrists rushing the field at a Utah football game.
Student hosts bring high school seniors to the U for tours, events and to spend a night in a dorm room in the Residence Halls to get a sense of what it is like to be a student at the U.
The high school student went with all 12 hosts to the Nov. 6 football game against TCU. When the Utes won in the last minute, the high school student rushed the field with eight of the hosts, said Sarah Davidson, one of the remaining hosts.
One of the fired hosts, who only spoke on the condition of anonymity, said when the high school student joined them in the victorious post-game bedlam, someone pushed him over the railing onto the field. The student broke both of his wrists when he landed on the grass and was taken to the hospital, the former host said.
The eighth host who rushed the field, Jose Hernandez, was not fired because he said that he didn’t know they were prohibited from it, Davidson said.
“I think it’s really stupid…since he’s the one who initiated it,” Davidson said. Hernandez said that Housing and Residential Education never mentioned the rule to him.
HRE dismissed the other seven and gave them the weekend to move out of their rooms. Those who chose to stay are paying $24 a day to continue living in the rooms. Davidson said she can’t comprehend HRE’s decision, since a weekend is far too little time for anyone to find a place to live.
“We go by a set of expectations for our hosts, and those expectations weren’t met,” said Barb Remsburg, director of HRE. The prospective student’s parent signed a waiver to allow the student to spend the night at the U with the hosts, and the safety of any guest is paramount, Remsburg said. Although she would not comment on the specifics, she said that HRE took multiple factors into account in firing the seven hosts. The injury alone was not enough to fire them, she said.
Hernandez, who is now on probation and could be given the boot for one more mistake, said he still thinks HRE overreacted to the situation.
“It’s stupid. They were all great, outgoing guys and I’m really sad to see them go,” he said. Hernandez said they should have been put on probation like he was.
The seven positions will remain empty until January, when new employees will fill them. Those still living in the dorm rooms specifically designated for HRE employees must move out by Spring Semester.
Tyler CobbA high school student broke his wrists rushing the field after the Utes beat TCU on Nov. 6th. Seven U student hosts were fired because of the incident.