If you have been following the Norwood Teague story, you have surely read the 8/11/2015 piece by the Star Tribune reporter who covers University of Minnesota athletics that revealed that she had been an ongoing Teague target dating back to December 13, 2013. With this information revealed, some pretty powerful questions remain for the Star Tribune to answer:

1. Why did the Star Tribune keep its direct knowledge of Teague’s behavior a secret? Back in April 2014, they could have run a story about their employee’s problems with Teague as a way of sounding the alarm to the community, but the Star Tribune remained silent.
2. What prevented the Star Tribune from alerting University officials?
3. The pattern of relentless victimization by sexual predators raises the question: Just how many women became victims (that no one knows about yet) in the year that the Star Tribune knew about this, but said nothing?

Seems to me, the Star Tribune needs to do some serious, public soul-searching to explain this extraordinary lapse in protecting our community.

The problem with silence as a communication strategy is the toxic nature of its impact. There will never be a reasonable explanation for having failed to alert the University, the community or even the police.

4. The revelations and reasons by their own victimized reporter raise an even larger question about the kinds of information the community should have for its own safety but that the Star Tribune may be routinely withholding. Why? What other vital information is being withheld? Who decides? How do we know what they’re holding?
5. Isn’t this a major public trust issue? When will the Star Tribune step forward and resolve it?

James E. Lukaszewski, ABC, Fellow IABC; APR, Fellow PRSA, BEPS Emeritus

If you have questions, or would like to dive more deeply into the subject of this blog, you can reach me 24/7 at jel@e911.com; 203-948-7029 (voicemail, email, text). I look forward, as a friend and colleague, to helping you achieve the objectives you’ve set for yourself for having a happier, more influential, successful and meaningful career.

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