I really don't care about his personal life. If he cheats on his wife that's their business not mine, true its embarrassing but soon all will be forgotten. However, Petrino misused a public office. As an employee for the state of Arkansas, he is not only responsible to his employers but to all taxpayers. Since it appears obvious he hired his girlfriend, he misused his public office for personal gain. I have about to start work on a MPA so this side of the issue interest me the most
Actually, while I know that's the supposedly "sophisticated" party line, personal breaches of trust really should matter more. What Petrino does privately impacts the whole society and his infidelity is a much bigger deal than some skewed hiring decision or violation of human resource policies. There's no reason to think that the young woman was not a "competent" fund raiser and I'm sure they have strict salary guidelines.
Why don't you ask Petrino's wife and kids which one is a bigger deal? What about the girl's fiancee? Petrino has a "morals clause" in his contract because these issues are more significant than some administrative policy and his actions' impact broader than just him and his family. It impacts the whole culture and the biggest impact has been to perpetuate the lie that "what happens in private doesn't impact anyone" and therefore should not be included in public discourse or related policy.
Why Petrino should be fired