In this follow-up episode, co-host Rudy Davis and attorney/host Dwayne Smith break down the legal landscape since Jerome Tang's for-cause firing from Kansas State. Topics include Tang's return to Baylor and how it affects his damages claim, the duty-to-mitigate argument, the comparator coaches, K-State's strongest and weakest arguments, the settlement dynamics, and key takeaways for HR professionals and high-profile employees.

Timestamps:

0:30 – Introduction & episode overview

1:33 – Jerome Tang lands at Baylor: what happened after the firing

2:46 – The for-cause firing explained

3:16 – Tang's legal team and the threat of a lawsuit

3:52 – How Tang's new job affects his legal case

4:22 – Duty to mitigate damages: the financial math

5:44 – What Tang could allege against K-State

6:19 – The comparator coach: a two-week suspension for worse conduct

7:59 – The football coach comparator (Chris Kleiman)

9:03 – Contract consistency and the disparate treatment argument

9:39 – K-State's defense: the unilateral authority argument

11:36 – K-State's weakest argument

12:22 – What K-State should have done differently

12:56 – Timeline to resolution — and what happens if they can't settle

13:33 – The potential hammer letter and what it signals

14:40 – The bigger picture: NIL and institutional power

15:12 – Who has the power right now

16:59 – Takeaway for HR professionals and executives

17:30 – Closing

In this episode, Scott Chase, a seasoned HR expert with 25 years of experience, discusses the importance of fractional HR for small and medium-sized businesses. He shares insights on HR strategies, common pitfalls, and practical steps to build a compliant and supportive workplace.

Keywords

HR, fractional HR, small business, HR policies, employee handbook, workplace culture, HR strategy, compliance, talent acquisition, employee relations

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to HR and Scott Chase's Journey

03:05 Understanding the Role of HR in Organizations

05:20 Defining Fractional HR and Its Importance

07:58 Initial Steps in Client Engagement

10:46 The Cost of Ignoring HR in Small Businesses

13:04 The Importance of Employee Communication

15:31 Talent Acquisition Mistakes in Small Businesses

18:04 Adapting to New Generations in the Workforce

20:47 The Essential Employee Handbook

23:09 Valuing People Over Numbers in Business

Resources

Scott Chase on LinkedIn

Chief of Staff

Amy Sharpe LinkedIn

• Defining workplace culture as lived values 
• Reading culture quickly through respect, trust, and accountability 
• Separating a single bad actor from a leadership and culture failure 
• Understanding why policies and handbooks fail without real enforcement 
• Clarifying the at-will employment myth and how it fuels bad decisions 
• Why conducting workplace investigations is important 
• Choosing internal vs external investigators based on size, power dynamics, and credibility 

Keywords

Legal counsel, business strategy, workplace culture, fractional GC, labor law, HR, organizational development

Key  topics

Legal and business strategy intersection

Fractional General Counsel model

Workplace culture and legal issues

What does power really look like—and who gets to use it?

In this episode of Shifting the Power Balance, I sit down with Scott D. Hamilton to talk about leadership, service, and the long game of creating opportunity. Scott’s journey is anything but linear: from law school to the energy sector, and ultimately to leading the Urban League of Arkansas. Along the way, he’s learned how institutions work, why relationships matter, and what it actually takes to move systems that were never designed to be fair.

We talk candidly about how Scott’s early experiences shaped his view of advocacy, the influence of his family’s civic legacy, and the moment he chose to leave a successful corporate career to return home and serve his community. This is a conversation about power—not as something to hoard, but as something to build, share, and sustain.

In this episode, we explore:

• How law school shaped Scott’s understanding of advocacy, influence, and responsibility
• Why education, curiosity, and resilience are essential tools for overcoming barriers
• The lasting impact of family legacy and his father’s example of civic leadership
• What led Scott to return to Arkansas and step into leadership at the Urban League
• How trust, relationships, and cross-ideological collaboration drive real community change
• Why zip code and access to quality education still determine so many life outcomes
• Practical ways to build power through relationships and shared goals
• How to work across ideological differences without losing your values
• The role of voter participation in creating durable systemic change
• What gives Scott hope—and the legacy he hopes to leave behind

This conversation is thoughtful, honest, and grounded in lived experience. If you care about leadership, equity, and building pathways to opportunity, this episode will challenge how you think about power—and what you can do with it.