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Message exalts Campbell attack Published: Thursday, November 08, 2007 PRINT E-MAIL FAYETTEVILLE — Add another twist to the Arkansas Razorbacks’ e-mail saga involving former quarterback Mitch Mustain and booster Teresa Prewett. Someone using Arkansas Coach Houston Nutt’s family e-mail address sent a message in May to Prewett’s roommate, describing an incident in which two women “beat the s ***” out of Mustain’s mother, and wishing to have been involved in the attack. Nutt said he didn’t send the e-mail and declined to speculate on which family member did. The e-mail was sent from what Nutt has identified as the personal e-mail account primarily used by his wife, Diana. “I’m focusing on Tennessee and football right now, and I’m not dwelling on the past,” Nutt said after practice Wednesday. “I don’t know anything about that [e-mail ]. I don’t use a computer at home.”
Nutt later clarified through sports information director Kevin Trainor that his lack of knowledge referred to the email being written and sent, not its existence. The University of Arkansas released 1, 167 pages of documents Tuesday in response to a Freedom of Information request filed by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Oct. 30. The paper was seeking all records relating to a school investigation into Prewett’s e-mail to Mustain on Dec. 7, 2006. The e-mail from Prewett, a donor to the Razorback Foundation, set off a state firestorm when it became public. Prewett’s one-page letter began with, “Hello Mr. Interception King” and was filled with derogatory comments directed at Mustain. Prewett, of Little Rock, was Danny Nutt’s physical therapist when Nutt was rehabilitating from brain surgery, and she has referred to the Nutts as her “extended family.” Danny Nutt, the former Razorbacks running backs coach, is Houston Nutt’s younger brother. Included in the documents released to the Democrat-Gazette was an e-mail sent May 25 from Nutt’s personal account to Sherri Darby, who lives with Prewett in Little Rock. The e-mail was part of a document forwarded from Arkansas Chancellor John White to associate general counsel Scott Varady in October. The e-mail read: “where did you get that juicy tidbit ? Did you know she once lived in Fayettteville ? You probably already know that she has rental property and that’s how she makes her living. Anyway, some women renters beat the s *** out of her several years back so she moved to Springdale and claims she HATES Fayetteville because of that. Of course the renters went to jail, but I wish I were one of them, do you blame them ?” Mustain’s mother, Beck Campbell of Springdale, was attacked by two former tenants on June 8, 2002, while cleaning an apartment on Birch Street in Fayetteville from which she had recently evicted the mother and daughter for failing to pay rent. The mother used a board to beat Campbell while the daughter held her. Campbell said she sustained two separated ribs, a dislocated jaw, a concussion, lacerations requiring more than 20 staples in her head and more than 30 bruises in the attack. The older woman was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to assault, battery and terroristic threatening charges, and her daughter received probation after pleading guilty as an accessory to the same charges. Campbell declined comment when asked her reaction to the e-mail. Campbell did say she has lived in Springdale for most of her life, including the time she was attacked, and did not move because of the incident. The other documents released have no obvious relationship to any investigation into Prewett’s original e-mail to Mustain on Dec. 7. The pages were mostly e-mails from fans to the university, printouts of university e-mails, articles and blogs. The university said some documents were withheld because of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. That act forbids universities from releasing most documents that include a student’s name, if they are related to records maintained by the university. Anything sent to the university is not covered by FERPA. Mustain filed a Freedom of Information request on Oct. 22 requesting all records and documents of any investigation, specifically if any member of the Razorbacks’ coaching staff encouraged or helped Prewett write the email. Mustain is now at Southern California after transferring. Mustain’s attorney, Tim Hutchinson, declined comment on the number of documents he received. Nor did he comment on whether the documents included any specific references to any investigation of the Prewett e-mail. The released documents also included an e-mail Prewett sent to Donita Ritchie’s university e-mail address about two hours after the one she sent Mustain on Dec. 7. Ritchie is the personal assistant to Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles, and Prewett’s e-mail was addressed to Broyles. In her second e-mail, Prewett said she was a donor to the Razorback Foundation and friend of the Nutts so she felt she had a “right” to give Broyles her opinion. She wrote that she was unhappy with the problems caused by the Springdale players, a group of four recruits led by Mustain, and then-Razorbacks assistant Gus Malzahn, who had coached the players in high school before being hired by Nutt as Arkansas ’ offensive coordinator. In the email, Prewett called the players “punks” but the tone of the e-mail was more pleasant than the one she sent Mustain. “The entire program is being affected because of this child-like behavior by all of them,” Prewett wrote. “Since when does a Division I program let a group of 18 year olds, their parents, and their former high school coach dictate what occurs on the field.” The e-mail to Broyles through Ritchie came as reports of disparaging comments by Mustain directed at Nutt were becoming public. Mustain’s comments were quoted in a book written about Springdale’s 2005 state championship season, when Mustain was a highly recruited player. “... we are sitting here in Arkansas today reading an article in the state-wide newspaper about Mitch Mustain blasting Houston Nutt,” Prewett wrote. “That is awful. I wish with all that I have that none of the Springdale bunch would have ever stepped on campus.” Tight end Ben Cleveland, who is sitting out this year with an injury, is the only former Springdale player remaining at Arkansas. Malzahn is the co-offensive coordinator at Tulsa, Mustain and receiver Damian Williams transferred to USC and receiver Andrew Norman transferred to Tulsa. Campbell, Ben Cleveland’s father, Rick, and Damian Williams’ parents had met with Broyles about their concerns with the football program the same day Prewett sent the e-mails to Mustain and Ritchie. The meeting ended at about noon and Prewett’s e-mail to Broyles was time-stamped 1: 13 p. m., roughly two hours after her e-mail to Mustain. Near the end of e-mail addressed to Broyles, Prewett warns against losing Nutt because of the situation surrounding the Springdale players. “You’ve created a monster with this Springdale mess, and we are going to be losing someone very special because of it,” Prewett wrote. “No amount of money is worth having to put up with a group of young men and their parents being able to dictate what occurs on the football field, and I know that no where else in this country does this occur.” Four days after the e-mail, someone using Ritchie’s e-mail address sent a note to Prewett, asking for her phone number. The message read, “Coach Broyles’ wife Gen would like to visit with you by phone.” Trainor said Broyles would have no comment because there is pending litigation. Broyles previously has said he had no knowledge of Prewett’s e-mail to Mustain until Arkansas Chancellor John White alerted him and Nutt on Jan. 5 after a complaint from Campbell. Nutt also has denied knowledge of Prewett’s e-mail before Jan. 5. After White contacted him, Nutt reprimanded Prewett on Jan. 12. Prewett wrote a letter of apology to Mustain on Jan. 8 that Nutt gave to the quarterback when he announced his intention to transfer Jan. 16. Campbell called Nutt’s response “weak” on Jan. 17, but White e-mailed her the next day to say Nutt’s actions were “appropriate.” Trainor said Gen Broyles would have no comment, either, and he would not clarify Gen Broyles’ relationship with Prewett or what she wanted to discuss with Prewett. Gen Broyles is Trainor’s mother-in-law. “I don’t know what that [e-mail ] proves other than she wanted to talk to her,” Trainor said of the reply to Prewett. “[Gen Broyles ] is not going to have any comment on it at this point.” Mount Ida resident John David Terry filed a lawsuit in April naming White and UA System President Alan Sugg as defendants, claiming White failed to properly investigate the Dec. 7 e-mail from Prewett. The lawsuit was dismissed twice by Washington County Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay, but Terry’s attorney, Eddie Christian Jr. of Fort Smith, filed a motion for accelerated appeal with the state’s Supreme Court. Yesterday's Most Popular 1. HOG FUTURES JERRY MITCHELL : Hurricane brings Mitchell to Hogs 2. THE RECRUITING GUY : Purifoy's size fits into UA's plans 3. Iowa prep standout Kelly joins UA track 4. Former Diamond Hog Richards inks contract with Marlins Today's Most E-mailed |
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