After issuing an apology for making insensitive remarks on his Facebook page about the Texas A&M bonfire tragedy, TCU Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Greg Featherston has resigned.
“I have decided to resign from my position at TCU,” Featherston said in a statement. “I sincerely apologize to all those offended by the post on my personal Facebook page. For the betterment of TCU, a place I care deeply about, it is best that I move on.”
Featherston, who previously graduated from the University of Texas, posted Wednesday on his page that “if the number of students that were victims of what amounted to drunken, negligent homicide on the part of that cow college didn’t match so perfectly with the cult’s favorite number, I doubt you would have seen anything like this done.”
The comments were in response to A&M recently deciding to leave 12 seats at Kyle Field open for the victims of the bonfire tragedy. Featherston shared the article and wrote that while he “didn’t write the response below” he “could have.”
Featherson and the TCU administration issued apologies on Friday and Featherston’s Facebook page was promptly removed by Friday night.
“We have accepted Greg’s resignation and wish him the best,” TCU Director of Athletics Chris Del Conte said in Saturday’s release.
Del Conte also apologized on Friday, saying that Featherston’s comments don’t reflect TCU and that he personally apologizes to anyone who was negatively affected by them.
According to the Fort Worth-Star Telegram, “the tragedy occurred Nov. 18, 1999, when students were working on the bonfire, a mammoth stack of wood that was to be ignited Thanksgiving night before A&M’s game against the University of Texas. The stack of wood collapsed at 2:42 a.m., killing 12 students, including two from Tarrant County: Jerry Don Self of Arlington and Chad Powell of Keller. Another 27 students were injured.”
After news of Featherston’s resignation came to light, several people took to Twitter to voice their opinions.
If there is one takeaway from Greg Featherston’s absurd “repost,” it’s that you should never embarrass your employer on social media.
— Lanny Hayes (@LannyHayes) February 23, 2014
Feel for TCU AAD Greg Featherston. Could’ve learned about decorum and dealing with adversity in ’99. Instead, gets to learn today.
— =vlookup(ab2,a:b,2) (@therealab2) February 22, 2014
So Greg Featherston resigned at TCU? Got a hunch he got resigned.
— Mark Passwaters (@themarkup) February 22, 2014
Greg Featherston is obviously mistaking a true apology for a defensive justification. Way to represent UT.
— Grayson Williams ’17 (@MindofGray) February 22, 2014
Following his resignation, Featherston is no longer listed on GoFrogs.com’s staff directory. The name next to his former position is currently listed as ‘TBA.’
