Urge UAB & Department of Athletics to Prohibit Jalen Kitna's admission to UAB
The Issue
In November 2022, based on a tip given to authorities, former Florida Gators football player Jalen Kitna was arrested on FIVE counts of child pornography. Jalen shared obscene and violent pornographic material to social media site Discord. He claims to have not known that the images he was sharing depicted minors, and instead of being charged with five felonies, he accepted a plea deal which charged him with two misdemeanors for disorderly conduct. Kitna was immediately dropped from the Gators.
On December 30th, ESPN reported that the University of Alabama at Birmingham has allowed Jalen to commit to the UAB Blazers. This announcement quickly spread throughout UAB's community and raised concern and alarm for many students. UAB prides itself in "acting with integrity.. [being] accountable and [doing] the right thing" according to their 2024 shared values plan, available here: https://www.uab.edu/plan/2024-2028
The admission of Kitna directly negates this claim. Additionally, Kitna's criminal record and behavior directly defies UAB's Code of Conduct (See Prohibited Conduct, 5.E)
Although both football head coach Trent Dilfer and athletic director Mark Ingram have claimed that UAB's Department of Athletics "performed extensive due diligence" in their review of Kitna's admission, various facts raise ethical concerns for students at UAB. It seems apparent that interpersonal relationships and ulterior agendas play a role in Kitna's admittance into UAB's football program. It is critical to note that Kitna's father, Jon Kitna, is a friend of head coach Trent Dilfer, and the two both played for the Seattle Seahawks- Jon Kitna in 2000, and Dilfer in 2001.
Kitna's admission speaks to a greater issue of ethical failings of UAB's Department of Athletics on a public scale. To students, this seems to indicative of UAB's failure to protect its students in favor of their athletic programs. The student body is greatly disappointed and disturbed by Kitna's admittance, and are prepared to boycott all UAB Football games in the upcoming semester if Kitna is not dismissed and UAB continues to remain silent on the ongoing issue of sexual violence in relation to players of the Blazers' football team.
This petition is in place to remind the University of Alabama at Birmingham that the student body is not blind to the silence which we are met with, and we will not be ignored.
2,057
The Issue
In November 2022, based on a tip given to authorities, former Florida Gators football player Jalen Kitna was arrested on FIVE counts of child pornography. Jalen shared obscene and violent pornographic material to social media site Discord. He claims to have not known that the images he was sharing depicted minors, and instead of being charged with five felonies, he accepted a plea deal which charged him with two misdemeanors for disorderly conduct. Kitna was immediately dropped from the Gators.
On December 30th, ESPN reported that the University of Alabama at Birmingham has allowed Jalen to commit to the UAB Blazers. This announcement quickly spread throughout UAB's community and raised concern and alarm for many students. UAB prides itself in "acting with integrity.. [being] accountable and [doing] the right thing" according to their 2024 shared values plan, available here: https://www.uab.edu/plan/2024-2028
The admission of Kitna directly negates this claim. Additionally, Kitna's criminal record and behavior directly defies UAB's Code of Conduct (See Prohibited Conduct, 5.E)
Although both football head coach Trent Dilfer and athletic director Mark Ingram have claimed that UAB's Department of Athletics "performed extensive due diligence" in their review of Kitna's admission, various facts raise ethical concerns for students at UAB. It seems apparent that interpersonal relationships and ulterior agendas play a role in Kitna's admittance into UAB's football program. It is critical to note that Kitna's father, Jon Kitna, is a friend of head coach Trent Dilfer, and the two both played for the Seattle Seahawks- Jon Kitna in 2000, and Dilfer in 2001.
Kitna's admission speaks to a greater issue of ethical failings of UAB's Department of Athletics on a public scale. To students, this seems to indicative of UAB's failure to protect its students in favor of their athletic programs. The student body is greatly disappointed and disturbed by Kitna's admittance, and are prepared to boycott all UAB Football games in the upcoming semester if Kitna is not dismissed and UAB continues to remain silent on the ongoing issue of sexual violence in relation to players of the Blazers' football team.
This petition is in place to remind the University of Alabama at Birmingham that the student body is not blind to the silence which we are met with, and we will not be ignored.
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Petition created on January 1, 2024