New
Washington State women’s basketball coach Kamie Ethridge said welcome email
from returning Cougars ‘hit me hard’
UPDATED: Tue., April 17, 2018, 10:30 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson, Spokesman-Review of Spokane/Inland Empire
PULLMAN
– Washington State’s new women’s basketball coach was en route to
Pullman, eager to pursue a new opportunity with the Cougars,
but still wrestling with the emotions that came with leaving her old job at the
University of Northern Colorado, a place that gave the 53-year-old her first
head coaching gig four years ago.
Kamie
Ethridge wasn’t second-guessing the career move, necessarily, but it also
wasn’t a bad time for a pick-me-up.
“I had
to leave a program that I was invested in and people that I love and cherish,”
Ethridge said during an introductory press conference Tuesday afternoon in
Pullman. “I got an email from this group of seven (returning WSU players). They
all signed it and they just kind of said, knowing I was closing some things
back in Colorado, they made me realize and put it in perspective a little bit
and told me, ‘Coach, when you close things, new things open, new opportunities
and new adventures and new relationships.’ ”
Borislava Hristova, WSU’s leading scorer at
17.8 ppg last season, spearheaded the effort.
“I know
it’s always hard to leave the environment you’re used to,” Hristova said. “So I
felt like sending her out an email before she comes here … so once she meets
us, we don’t look like total strangers. So we can show her we support her and
we’re just going to trust her to lead us next season to big things.”
“It hit
me hard,” Ethridge said. “18- to 22-year-olds that give you perspective and
bring you back to the things that are important.”
Inside
the Cougar Football Complex, Ethridge was introduced before a
standing-room-only crowd of WSU administrators, coaches, athletic boosters,
media members and Ethridge’s mother, who flew in from Texas to attend. Near the
front of the room were the seven players left on WSU’s roster after a
tumultuous 2017-18 campaign.
Eleventh-year coach June Daugherty was fired in
March after leading the Cougars to an underwhelming 10-20 record, which
included a 3-14 mark in the Pac-12 and opening-round loss in the conference
tournament. Quite a stretch from the lofty preseason expectations placed on the
Cougars. Some thought WSU had enough talent and experience to break a 26-year
NCAA Tournament drought.
Three
seniors graduated and WSU lost another trio of rotational players – Nike
McClure, Louise Brown and Kayla Washington – who elected to transfer after a
reported dust-up with the school’s new athletic director, Pat Chun.
Seven
players survived the turmoil and committed to Ethridge’s rebuild: Johanna
Muzet, Chanelle Molina, Maria Kostourkova, Alexys Swedlund, Jovana Subasic,
Celena Molina and Hristova.
“I’m
sure there was a lot of doubt,” Ethridge said. “And it was very evident that
they stuck. It’s an amazing thing when you stick through adversity and you find
a way and you pull together and understand what it takes to continue on.”
Cherilyn
Molina, the younger sister of Chanelle and Celena, will join the Cougars this
fall, leaving Ethridge with five scholarships to fill. Her coaching and playing
credentials should be a major asset on the recruiting trail.
Ethridge
was an All-American point guard at the University of Texas who helped the
Longhorns capture the 1986 national championship. She helped the USA women win
a gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and padded her international resume
with golds at the FIBA World Championship (1986), the World University Games
(1985) and the Pan American Games (1987).
“As
soon as I found out, I did my research on her,” Chanelle Molina said. “She was
a 5-5 point guard, gold medalist and all that. For me as a point guard, I’m
excited to learn from her.”
Ethridge’s
four UNC teams combined to go 83-44.
:::::::::::::::::
COUG
WOMEN’S BASKETBAL
Ethridge
gets warm welcome at Wazzu
New
Cougar hoops coach says she will rely on recruiting, versatility
By
Joshua Grissom, Lewiston Tribune
PULLMAN
- There was an audible buzz as Kamie Ethridge entered the room and made her way
to the podium through the throng of people lining the Cougar Football Complex.
The
former Olympic gold medalist, flanked on her left by Washington State athletic
director Patrick Chun, could barely squeeze in a word before the attendees -
which included student-athletes, donors and university personnel - burst into a
hearty round of applause.
The
Ethridge era had officially begun.
The
Hall of Famer was formally introduced as the new Cougar women's basketball
coach during a news conference Tuesday afternoon. Ethridge discussed the future
of the program and fielded questions from a crowd that included WSU President
Kirk Schulz and men's basketball coach Ernie Kent.
"I've
thought of a million things as I've gone through this process and thought about
this moment and what I would do with it," Ethridge said. "I am just
thrilled to be starting the next chapter with you all."
The
former Northern Colorado coach takes over a squad returning just seven members
of last year's roster: Borislava Hristova, Chanelle Molina, Johanna Muzet,
Maria Kostourkova, Celena Molina, Alexys Swedlund and Jovana Subasic. But those
same players are the key reason Ethridge made the leap to the Palouse, as the
four-year Big Sky veteran found herself immediately impressed upon meeting the
group.
"I
don't think women's basketball is that far off here from being one of the top
teams and competing with anyone in our league," Ethridge said. "It's
going to take some time, it's going to take a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I
just love the fact that we have a great building block on the kind of people
and players in the program right now and we can do some things with that."
Ethridge
joins Washington State after guiding Northern Colorado to a 26-7 record and an
NCAA Tournament appearance last season. As a player, she led Texas to a
national title in 1986 before following it up with an appearance in the 1988
Olympic Games and a gold medal for Team USA.
"We
were looking for an exact fit, and we were going to uncover every stone and go
through a process as long as it took to find that person," Chun said of
his first major hire as athletic director. "When it was all said and done
... it was like, 'Wow, this is that person.' We're pumped we ended up where
we're at."
Ethridge
didn't discuss the finer details of her search for additional staff members,
but she did offer a glimpse of her overall vision for the program, which
includes a strong emphasis on recruiting in order to compete with perennial
Pac-12 powers such as Stanford and UCLA.
"I
hope to put together a staff that can succeed internationally and across the
states," Ethridge said. "We'll go wherever players are and wherever
the interest is. I think we can get the people that love this kind of community
and love this college atmosphere."
As a
former member of the Big Sky, Ethridge brings to the Palouse a coaching style that
is primarily based on speed and perimeter shooting, rather than the Power Five
staple of height.
"I
love versatility, I love people stretching the floor and shooting the 3,"
Ethridge said. "Obviously, I haven't dealt with having as much size as we
have here, so that's going to be a nice thing to have to figure out how we're
going to play with size."
Ethridge
shied away from directly answering whether she would attempt to sway Louise
Brown and Kayla Washington into rejoining the program, instead stating that her
goal was to look to the recruiting trail for new talent.
"These
seven right here are the ones that have been fully committed and are on
board," she said. "... As far as I'm concerned, I think these are the
ones we're going to build on."
RIVALRY
RENEWAL? - It's been more than a decade since the Washington State and Idaho
women's basketball teams squared off in the Battle of the Palouse, but that
could soon change under Ethridge's direction.
"I
think Jon (Newlee) does a great job at the University of Idaho and clearly
they're close, so there's lots of reasons to play," Ethridge said when
asked about potentially renewing the rivalry. "I don't really have an
answer right now. I know our schedule is way full and very difficult, and we're
going to have to deal with that first and then we're going to deal with next
year's schedule as we go. But I'm certainly open to that."
SHOW ME
THE MONEY - According to the Greeley Tribune's website, Ethridge's WSU contract
is for six years with an annual salary of $400,000.
:::::::::::::
FOOTBALL
The best
of three worlds: Washington State’s Dave Nichol working with third different
co-receivers coach in three years
UPDATED:
Tue., April 17, 2018, 10:59 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson Spokane S-R
PULLMAN –
Considering the sheer volume of footballs thrown their way, the wide receivers
in Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense tend to require more instruction and attention
than those anywhere else in the country.
The last
five college football seasons offer just a small glimpse of that. In each,
Washington State’s receivers and running backs have reeled in more passes than
anybody else in the FBS. In both 2014 and ’15, the Cougars caught more than 500
passes – at least 100 more than the next-highest team. Although WSU hauled in
only 487 passes last season, that total was still 80 more than second-place New
Mexico State.
So Leach
allocates his program’s resources accordingly, employing two assistants to
mentor his busy and productive army of pass-catchers – one dedicated to the
inside receivers, one to the outside receivers.
For the
past three years, the coaches occupying those roles have been Dave Nichol and
(insert name here).
Nichol, a
former graduate assistant of Leach’s at Texas Tech, was hired in 2016 to coach
the Cougars’ outside receivers. He switched to the inside receivers in 2017 and
will work with that crew again this season. But in each of his three seasons at
WSU, the man working opposite him has been different.
Lest you
think that’s become an uncomfortable trend for Nichol – seeing a co-receivers
coach leave after each season – the 40-year-old assistant guarantees he’s been
a benefactor, while conceding it can also be tough to see a colleague go.
“You get
to learn,” he said. “I learn little things from all of them.”
Nichol
arrived in 2016 with JaMarcus Shephard, who was assigned by Leach to coach the
Cougars’ inside receivers. But Shephard left after one season to become the
sole wide receivers coach, and co-offensive coordinator, at Purdue.
Leach then
turned to Toledo receivers coach Derek Sage, who worked with WSU’s inside
receivers during spring camp before Leach made a flip in the fall, deciding his
pass-catchers would get a best-of-both-worlds experience if Nichol could share
his intel with the inside receivers and Sage could pass on his knowledge to the
outside receivers.
But after
one season in Pullman, Sage jumped at an opportunity to join Chip Kelly’s staff
at UCLA, where he’s now the Bruins’ tight ends coach. Leach acted quickly to
hire Western Kentucky quarterbacks coach Steve Spurrier Jr., who brings
impressive football lineage and more than 20 years of coaching experience to
the Cougars.
The one
constant has been Nichol, who’s worked meticulously to soak up tips and
teaching points from all three of the co-receiver coaches who’ve worked next to
him.
“From
coach Sage, quite frankly a lot about releases,” Nichol said. “Specific stuff,
when it comes to just releasing, which he had to do quite a bit obviously being
on the outside more.
“And then
just some scheme stuff from JaMarcus, not necessarily stuff we do but when
you’re kind of in the office hanging out now and again, just some of the
systems he’s been in, other plays, frankly.
“Then
coach Spurrier, I think I’m a positive guy but my players would probably say
not, but his positivity has rubbed off on me. He’s pretty happy. When he wakes
up, when he goes to bed. Just get a smile on your face.”
There’s
plenty of give-and-take. Nichol is often quizzed by his colleagues, too. He’s
spent more time with Leach’s offense than any of them.
“I learn
from them, but they’ll be like, ‘What exactly is this?’ ” Nichol said, “and so
just being a GA for coach way back then and now, just helping them figure stuff
out.”
Spurrier’s
family has yet to make a permanent move to the Palouse, so the first-year WSU
assistant has taken a spare bedroom in Nichol’s home for the time being.
“I like Dr
Pepper and water and he likes his stuff,” Nichol said. “We just sit there and
watch –we watch football. We’re cool, but that’s what we do.”
Nichol
jokes that his two-bedroom residence won’t be able to house Spurrier’s family
when they arrive. Spurrier and his wife have seven chidren, including a set of
triplets and twins.
“He’s got
his own bed, he’s got his own bathroom , it’s a heckuva deal,” Nichol said.
“He’s got seven kids, so they can’t all stay here.”
::::::
BASEBALL
Cougars
stumble in Spokane
WSU
pitchers did not allow Bulldogs to score a run after fourth inning
By RYAN
BLAKE, Evergreen
April 18,
2018
WSU
baseball lost 7-4 against Gonzaga University on Tuesday at the Patterson
Baseball Complex in Spokane.
Freshman
left handed pitcher Michael Newstrom made his first career start for the
Cougars (10-19). He came into the game with a 3.52 ERA in 11 appearances out of
the bullpen.
Newstrom
only pitched one inning, giving up one run, a hit and a walk as the Bulldogs
(18-16) took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
The
Cougars answered in the second inning with a run of their own. Freshman outfielder
Collin Montez and sophomore infielder Dillon Plew led off the inning with
back-to-back walks and senior first baseman James Rudkin followed with a single
to right center field to score Montez from second.
Redshirt
sophomore right-handed pitcher Davis Baillie relieved Newstrom in the bottom of
the second inning. Baillie gave up a leadoff home run to Gonzaga redshirt
senior first baseman Nick Brooks. The Bulldogs added two more runs on two
singles, a double and a triple to give them a 4-1 lead they would not
relinquish.
Freshman
left-handed pitcher Bryce Moyle took over for Baillie in the bottom of the
third and gave up a leadoff home run before striking out the next three
batters.
In the
fourth inning, Moyle allowed a single and a walk before being relieved by
redshirt senior right-handed pitcher Collin Maier with two outs. Maier gave up
a single and threw wild pitch to allow both runners to score and make it 7-1
Gonzaga.
WSU
continued to stay in the game offensively. Senior outfielder JJ Hancock led off
the third inning with a single to extend his on-base streak to 17 games. Junior
infielder Justin Harrer followed with a two run homer for his eighth of the
year, the most since first baseman Taylor Ard hit 12 in 2012.
The
Cougars loaded the bases with no outs to begin the sixth inning on a double by
freshman outfielder Brody Barnum and singles by Rudkin and Plew. But WSU was
only able to plate one run on to cut the Bulldogs lead to 7-4.
WSU
pitchers held Gonzaga scoreless from the fifth inning on despite giving up runs
in each of the first four innings. The Bulldogs looked to score in the fourth
when they attempted a squeeze bunt but were stopped when junior catcher Robert
Teel tagged the runner out at home.
Gonzaga
retired WSU batters in order in the top of the ninth inning to hold on for the
victory.
The
Cougars return home to face Santa Clara University for a three-game series
starting 5 p.m. Friday at Bailey-Brayton Field.
BASEBALL:
Gonzaga
fights through wind to defeat Washington State in nonconference baseball
Tue.,
April 17, 2018, 10:54 p.m.
By Whitney
Ogden, Spokane S-R
There was
no escaping the wind on Tuesday night. It was going to have its hand in the
game whether the Gonzaga Bulldogs liked it or not.
The wind
was close to 15 mph in Spokane at the start of Gonzaga’s 7-4 nonconference win
over Washington State, giving players on both sides a lot of trouble in the
outfield for the first half of the night.
“It’s an
element that you don’t like as a baseball coach,” Gonzaga coach Mark Machtolf
said. “Sometimes you get some cheap ones, sometimes you get some cheap ones
against you. It’s just part of playing baseball in the Northwest.”
The Zags
(19-16) seemed to have the worst of it. The wind pulled for the Cougars (10-20)
and assisted WSU’s Andres Alvarez on a leadoff popup to the right side that
dropped at the end of right fielder Isaac Barerra’s glove.
Barerra
scrambled in the last second as the wind appeared to have pulled the ball
inside on the way down.
“The ball
just died,” Barerra said. “I backed up on the initial read … I had it, but it
just died.”
Alvarez
hustled to a double and got around to third on a fielder’s choice by Justin
Harrer. But the Zags turned a double play on Robert Teel’s line drive to third
baseman Ernie Yake to end the inning unharmed.
The wind
kept whipping the flags just beyond right field and didn’t let up a bit in the
bottom of the frame. Gonzaga’s Branson Trube launched the ball high and center
fielder Danny Sinatro nearly caught it at the warning track, until the wind
pushed the ball just past Sinatro’s glove for a single.
Yake, who
reached base on a leadoff walk, held up next to first in hopes to tag up on the
catch. After the sudden drop, Trube couldn’t push the brake and passed up Yake
on his way to second base. He was called out and Yake was allowed to move to
second.
The Zags
still managed to get a run on the board after Yake moved to third and scored on
Gunnar Schubart’s sacrifice fly to center.
WSU was
quick to answer in the second following back-to-back walks by right-hander
Taylor Davis. WSU’s James Rudkin tied the score at 1 with a subsequent RBI
single to center.
But the
tie didn’t last long. Gonzaga designated hitter Nick Brooks turned on a
fastball in the bottom of the frame and homered to left to give the Zags a 2-1
lead.
Slade
Hagen followed with his second hit of the season – a short line drive behind
second base that looked to be a single. But Sinatro slipped in center field and
let the ball roll to the warning track, giving Hagen a triple.
Barrera
sent home Hagen on a single down the left-field line, extending Gonzaga’s lead
to 3-1. He followed Hagen home after Trube doubled to left.
The wind
was back at it in the third, and still in favor of the Cougars. JJ Hancock led
the inning with a single to left fand Justin Harrer followed with a rocket down
the left side. The wind carried the ball just beyond the fence to cut Gonzaga’s
lead to 4-3.
In the
bottom of the frame, Gonzaga’s Jake Vieth got the ball in the air on the first
pitch and shot his team-leading sixth homer of the season to left, moving the
score to 5-3. Bryce Moyle struck out the next three batters to end the inning.
The wind
finally started settling in the fourth when the Zags put their bats back to
work. Yake singled to left and moved to third base on a pair of wild pitches by
Moyle.
Moyle
faltered again and walked Trube. Righty Collin Maier quickly took over, but
didn’t provide much relief as he allowed Schubert a single to left field that
sent Yake home and gave the Zags a 6-3 lead.
A minute
later, Trube, who moved to third on Schubert’s shot, scored on a wild pitch.
The Cougs
fought back one more time in the sixth with a double and a pair of singles to
load the bases. Sinatro sent home Brody Barnum from third on a grounder to
shortstop, cutting the lead to three runs.
The Zags
outhit WSU 12-9, with most of their hits coming early. Four Zags led with two
hits apiece. Trube went 2 for 2 and had a pair of walks. Yake and Barrera went
2 for 3 and Vieth was 2 for 4.
“Offensively,
it was one of our better nights,” Machtolf said. “We did a good job executing
and getting the big hits and doing the small things that we haven’t been
doing.”
WSU’s
Dillon Plew, Rudkin and JJ Jancock led the Cougars with two hits apiece.
Left-hander
Justin Blatner earned the win after taking over for Davis’ third start of the
season in the third. He allowed five hits and fanned eight batters in 5 2/3
innings.
::::::::::::::::
Investigation
finds WSU Athletics employee violated Title IX
Complainants
said they were afraid to come forward due to Lucier’s ties to supervisors
A WSU
Athletics Department Employee was investigated for sexual harassment and
discrimination.
By REBECCA
WHITE, Evergreen asst. news editor
April 18,
2018
A
university investigation into a former WSU athletics administrator found that
over a three year period, he violated WSU’s Title IX policies by making
inappropriate comments in the workplace and demeaning employees because of
their gender.
John E.
Lucier, a former associate athletic director of compliance who resigned last
year after taking a $31,000 settlement, harassed and discriminated against two
athletic department employees, according to the investigative report obtained
by The Daily Evergreen. The Office of Equal Opportunity found Lucier violated a
WSU policy prohibiting discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct,
called Executive Policy 15.
Multiple
witnesses, most of which were women, interviewed by the OEO, told investigators
Lucier’s behavior made them feel uncomfortable or intimidated.
Lucier
One of the
complainants told investigators Lucier would use words such as “c—” and “p—-”
in her presence, yell at her multiple times a day and belittle her to the point
that she was insecure about her competency, an account that several other witnesses
in the report confirmed.
Witnesses
also described incidents in which Lucier made derogatory comments about women’s
sports such as “Why do we have female sports like soccer?” A witness recalled
Lucier saying he did not want to hire women and making demeaning comments about
female administrators, including, “Women administrators need to be careful they
don’t trip over the wrong d—.”
Lucier did
not respond to a request for comment and the complainants declined to comment.
One
employee told investigators that she was afraid to come forward because of the
perception that Lucier was protected by his relationship with senior athletic
department leadership, like former Athletic Director Bill Moos and former
Deputy Athletic Director Mike Marlow. She said she didn’t make the decision to
come forward “lightly,” but “three years is enough.”
Moos, who
now directs athletics at University of Nebraska, declined to comment. Marlow,
who is now vice president of athletics at Northern Arizona University, did not
respond to multiple requests for comment.
Multiple
witnesses in the report described Lucier as having “broken” relationships with
several female employees in the athletic department and said they were
intimidated by him. Some female coaching staff described having difficulties
dealing with Lucier, and one coach said she preferred to send male coaching
staff to discuss issues because she didn’t like interacting with him. Several
women interviewed by investigators described Lucier leaving unprofessional
voicemails or emails and yelling at them in person.
One
employee told an interviewer she was used to hearing “locker room talk” over
the course of her career in athletics, but she had “never felt threatened or
intimidated” until her interactions with Lucier.
Witnesses
also recalled Lucier frequently using inappropriate language, such as the word
“p—-,” toward a male employee, or to describe WSU student-athletes and coaches.
A female
employee told investigators Lucier had told her on multiple occasions, “we need
to be loyal” and “I can’t have people running to HR every time I drop an f-bomb
or scream and yell.”
In the
report, Lucier said that conversation may have occurred, but that it was only
one time during a job interview and he did not talk about screaming or yelling.
He told investigators he “wanted her to understand the way I am,” because he is
“rough around the edges.”
He said
the employee who filed the complaint against him should have known that “this
might not be the right job” for her if she could not handle his behavior.
When
investigators asked him about his behavior, Lucier said his language was
“salty” and that he had not yelled at employees, only raised his voice. Lucier
said one employee with whom he had a negative interaction was biased against
him and athletics senior leadership, which he said was nicknamed “the Oregon
mafia” because Moos, Marlow and Lucier had all worked together at University of
Oregon before WSU.
In the
report, an athletic department employee told investigators that Lucier’s
treatment toward a female complainant was “noticeable to others without
discussing it.” He said the female
employee was “sensitive, but you don’t have to be sensitive to be offended by
[Lucier’s] actions.”
Another
male employee told interviewers that Lucier “rants and raves towards women, not
me” and said that Lucier considered himself straightforward and direct. But
from what the employee saw, he said it was easier for Lucier to be direct with
women.
When
investigators asked the female complainant about Lucier’s comments, she said
“athletics is a different culture. I can handle cuss words, but not when it’s
coming at me or derogatory towards me.”
During the
investigation, an employee also accused Lucier of preferring to hire men over
women and saying things such as, “I want a male,” or “I don’t want any more
females” when discussing candidates for open positions. Lucier denied these
allegations, saying instead the female complainant was the one who wanted to
hire men.
When
investigators interviewed Moos, he said the allegations against Lucier were
surprising and seemed “out of character.” He said he was not aware of any
issues with Lucier’s behavior until the formal complaint was filed.
During the
investigation, Marlow accused one of the complainants of interfering with the
investigation. He told investigators that one complainant had discussed the
investigation with a person he knew, but could not name, and that the
complainant was “playing the victim” during the conversation. Investigators did
not find evidence to substantiate his claims.
Three
employees approached the athletics department Title IX office to report
Lucier’s behavior in September 2016, before the investigation began in October
of 2016. One employee said she had previously approached Ken Casavant, Lucier’s
supervisor and now retired faculty athletics representative, on two occasions.
The second time she approached Casavant, she said Lucier’s behavior escalated.
An
employee, who was not involved in the official reporting process, said she had
also brought up Lucier’s behavior to Casavant. Another employee said she had
brought up general concerns with a representative from the athletics Title IX
office.
One
witness said she was afraid to discuss her concerns with Lucier directly
because she worried it would make him angry. She told investigators Casavant’s
management style didn’t leave staff members feeling “empowered to go get help.”
During the
investigation into Lucier, another investigation was launched into Casavant’s
conduct. Casavant told The Daily Evergreen it wasn’t for discrimination or
harassment, but declined to comment further on the investigation.
According
to the investigation report, Casavant did discuss employees’ complaints with
Lucier and the investigators found there was sufficient evidence to conclude
that Lucier was “on notice” for his behaviors and that he created a “hostile
work environment.”
Lucier
told investigators no one had approached him about his behaviors, and if
“employees voice concerns in a direct manner, I certainly would have listened
to them and changed.”
After the
investigation concluded, the university signed a settlement with Lucier and he
agreed never to apply for or accept a position at WSU again. The agreement, which
was signed by Provost Dan Bernardo, Moos, WSU Attorney General Danielle Hess
and Lucier, resolved “all matters arising from [Lucier’s] entire relationship,
employment or otherwise, with WSU.”
The
university bought out the rest of Lucier’s contract period for $31,000 and
agreed not to discuss the terms of his employment outside of title, salary,
dates and any other information they are legally bound to provide until 2019.
When
Lucier signed the settlement, he agreed not to sue WSU for wrongful firing or
any other issue. The document was not an acknowledgment of wrongdoing or
negligence from either party.
Lucier
started at WSU as an associate athletic director of compliance in February of
2013 and resigned in April of 2017. He previously worked for Fresno State
University and University of Oregon.
Bill
Stevens, associate director for athletic communications, said athletics could
not comment on the investigation because it was a personnel matter. But he
added the department recently completed a sexual harassment and discrimination
prevention training, which they do periodically.
“Those are
issues we take very seriously and we do try to revise as needed,” Stevens
said. “We do follow best practices and
we want to make sure it’s a safe and comfortable work place for all employees.”
Editor’s
Note: The Evergreen normally uploads copies of documents from records-based
stories to give readers the opportunity to further investigate for themselves.
In this case however, the documents were not attached to the story to protect
the identities of victims of harassment and discrimination.
#
