NAU Job Loss

Did ever tell you about the time I was FIRED from the prestigious Northern Arizona University’s Altitude Training Center after 6 years of dedicated service?

On March 29, 2007, A Flagstaff masseur, Robert P. “Bobby” Thiem Jr., who admitted to fondling female clients was sentenced on three felony counts involving sexual misconduct, netting him 6 years in prison.

(see story)

So, I, Geoffrey Bishop, was not the rapist, but somehow the state’s “risk management” team, the insurance company for the university, NAU human resources, and the directors of the center found that I was unfit to work one on one with the worlds “greatest” athletes. (Just in case I was a rapist?)

I was told by a representative of the center that all of the massage programs, campus-wide, would be cut due to liability on the part of the state.

Since that time, there are still two places on campus where one may obtain massage. The Recreation Center and Fronske Health Center.

There are a few points that insult me the most…

1. I was lied to.

2. The therapists that kept their positions were both female, and unlicensed.

3. I was told to keep it quiet, or I would not receive the “unofficial” referrals from the directors to visiting athletes. (which I did, against my better judgment)

I still have a big handful of international athletes who utilize my services when they visit, but it’s really not about that. It’s more to due with the anger I have had with the institution since this time. They were able to pimp me out, and I stood by and let it happen. I feel bad for the two people who lost their jobs in this recent abolishment of the Center for Altitude Training. I feel bad for the folks who have to make these decisions. However, athletes will still come to Flagstaff to train. We will still make our money in the community, and the people who made these decisions will have that weight on their mind.