That Falcons prank call was wild, but did it break Georgia law?
By now, every sports fan in Georgia has heard of the Falcons #PrankGate, but the fallout for defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich and his son, Jax, raises some questions about the laws about professional recruiting.
The NFL has stringent rules concerning tampering and the safeguarding of confidential information, and this extends to recruitment protocol.
The Falcons prank heard ‘round the world
Ulbrich’s son called Shedeur Sanders, son of Deion Sanders, and posed as the general manager of the New Orleans Saints in order to fool Sanders into thinking he’d been drafted, reports the Falconholic. It turned out to be a lie, of course, but not before causing a fair amount of chaos.
Jax, who’s 21 years old, was able to see Sanders’ contact information from an unlocked iPad at his father’s home, and this is where the trouble started.
What was the fallout from the NFL?
The NFL’s anti-tampering policy is designed to prevent unfair advantages using unauthorized communications or accessing confidential information, which is why the team and the coach were fined.
The NFL fined the Falcons $250,000 and Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 for failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information. Coach Ulbrich publicly apologized and his son reached out to Shedeur to say sorry, according to the Falcoholic.
Although it didn’t harm Shedeur’s draft status, the fact his information was even accessible creates some big problems for all parties involved.
Did Ulbrich break any laws?
The NFL’s recruiting and hiring practices are governed by a mix of federal law, internal league rules, and collective bargaining agreements. Because it is a private employer, the NFL is subject to anti-discrimination laws, which the younger Ulbrich didn’t break, and won’t face criminal charges.
Obtaining Sanders’ private information is not a violation of public law, however it is a violation of NFL internal security and privacy protocols, which was why the Falcons organization and the coach were fined.
Is it against the law to prank call in Georgia?
Prank calling can sometimes be illegal, depending on the nature and intent of the call.
Under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-39.1),it can be a misdemeanor offense to making harassing phone calls.
“Harassing” can mean:
Calling someone repeatedly for the purpose of annoying, harassing or molesting them or their family
Using language threatening bodily harm over the phone
Calling and intentionally failing to hang up or disengage the connection
Knowingly permitting any phone under your control to be used for any of these purposes
Ulbrich’s prank call didn’t really fit any of this criteria, so he’s unlikely to be prosecuted.
Before smart phones made pranks practically impossible, were you a phone call prankster? What were your go-to tactics? Email me at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on social media.
