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The Honor Code, BYU and ORU
Published: 3/4/2011 1:20 PM
Last Modified: 3/4/2011 1:20 PM

The honor code at Brigham Young is similar to the one at Oral Roberts.
Under normal circumstances, that is just part of life at those two universities. It is not national news.
That changed this week when BYU dismissed Brandon Davies, the team’s second-best player, from the Cougars’ highly-ranked team.
BYU, coming off an impressive victory at San Diego State, was considered a good bet for a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
Now, people wonder if the Cougars, beaten at home by 18 by New Mexico after the dismissal, will survive past a game or two in the tournament.
That’s why the honor code has become big news. Davies did not break the law. He did not violate any NCAA rules.
He had sex with his girlfriend. That violated the BYU honor code. So, he is gone from one of the best teams in the country.
There have been honor code violations at ORU involving athletes in the past. But, it never impacted the national sports landscape like this latest incident at BYU.
But, that’s part of the landscape at christian schools like BYU or ORU. You sign up for it. In fact, sometimes it is one of the reasons why a kid chooses a school like BYU or ORU.
Not everyone may understand it. But, that’s the rules. It says much about the honor of BYU that it followed its own code despite what is a devastating blow to its national championship hopes.



Reader Comments 8 Total
Imjustsayin (last year)
But it also says a lot about the young man. As I understand it, he 'self-reported' his offense. Say what you will about other people's brands of religion, but notwithstanding his violation, his (1) sense of obligation and acknowledgement of his wrongdoing, coupled with (2) his owning up to it speaks volumes. He gave up a lot - as apparently did the basketball team - but he also gained a lot, at least in his eyes.
nolabelsplease (last year)
I guess I understand the Honor Code but is there a set in stone punishment? From what I've seen he's been dismissed from the team for the rest of the season. What about continuing to attend the university? Will he be forced to leave?

It seems a bit hypocritical to ask your members to follow an Honor Code or get you get the boot. Where's the forgiveness?

Do you really think that every student at BYU, ORU, or others follow the code and never slip or fall? How many that do self report?

Shouldn't it be the communities responsibility to help that person up so that they grow and learn or are they just there to enforce a rigid set of rules?
Imjustsayin (last year)
nolabelsplease - You definitely seem to miss the point. It's not much of an honor code system if you're not required to abide by it. It's not much of a system if infractions carry no penalty. This young man stood up and took his medicine - I'm guessing he knew the punishment before he committed the act, or at least knew of that risk. And your rhetorical question about whether anyone believes that kids at other schools abide by their repsective codes is asinine. This was his code; this was his school; this was his decision. Do you really think it should matter what somebody else was doing or not doing? If others are jumping off a cliff, ..... Really!?!
justafan (last year)
Another way of looking at it nolabel is that they are there to enforce a set of rules so as to help the person grow and learn.
yep (last year)
If you don't stand for something, draw a line in the sand, then you might as well throw all rules out the window. It's easy to stand for nothing. Come to think of it, the "community's responsibility to help that person grow" doesn't seem to work very well in society...all signs are pointing to America being on the decline. I don't like seeing the young man kicked out, but at least BYU stands for something.

Plus, if this young man did self-report this, then getting kicked off the bball team is but a minor blip in his life, a life which probably will take him to much higher things than playing on the 2011 BYU bball team. Who would you rather hire? A man who broke the rules but didn't tell about it because he knew he'd be kicked off the team? Or a man who broke the rules, but turned himself in, knowing he'd have to live with the consequences of being kicked off. I'd hire that 2nd one in a heartbeat.
Stockholm (last year)
YAWN..........surely there's something more exciting happening IN SPORTS!

Once again, the media and people with no lives are focused on the personal life of a sports figure.

I always thought the sports section is for that - sports...I see that I am wrong, too bad.
Guess I'll go to the weather channel to see what's up with Charlie Sheen.
huricandeoro (last year)
Wow, the world must be ending because I agree with John Klein. Good thoughts John.
Ben (last year)
I assume this kid knew what he was getting into when he went to BYU. I don't know if he's mormon, but most people know what the entails. If I were him, I would go pro or attempt to get a hardship deferrment for persecution from the cultists that run that school.
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Klein's Korner

Tulsa World senior sports columnist John Klein is in his fourth decade of covering sports. He started his newspaper career at The Daily Ardmoreite in 1977 and moved to the Tulsa World in 1978. He served 10 years as sports editor for the Tulsa World before being named to his current position in 2005. He also spent five years as the Southwest Conference beat writer for the Houston Post. He has won many writing awards and is a former Oklahoma Sports Writer of the Year.

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