Accusations of hazing, sexual harassment and sexual assault are being made against the Western Kentucky University (WKU) swim team, per a report just released by the WKU Herald. Investigations were made when former swim team member Collin Craig filed a formal complaint in January 2015 with the Bowling Green Police Department.
According to the Herald‘s reporting, Title IX investigators Huda Melky and Joshua Hayes discovered that “individual members of the team were pressured to drink underage, subjected to calisthenics – called the “freshman ‘f*ck around’” and endured mental abuse brought around by “taping and replaying embarrassing or compromising activity in order to subject the individual to ridicule.” The investigators also found that alcohol was offered to and accepted by high school recruits.
Additionally, the investigators determined that swim team head coach Bruce Marchionda “knew about the hazing and sexual harassment since spring 2012 based on an email he received from a former swimmer.” Further, Melky and Hayes found that subsequent discipline associated with such behaviors was “often inconsistent” and with convenient timing so as to not impact major competitions or championship meets.
The resulting Title IX investigative report offered up three recommended course of actions for university administrators:
- Individual students accused in the complaint should be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs for further action
- Athletic Director Todd Stewart should determine the appropriate next steps regarding team leadership
- AD Stewart should consider the involvement of the swim team from an organizational perspective for its future
We will report additional information on this ongoing situation as it becomes available.
http://wkuherald.com/news/article_fc76353c-de4c-11e4-b878-5bb6c0cc6f7c.html
Been a long time since DutchWomen hath roamed the boards… I dare ask – aren’t college students supposed to be more intelligent than the average?
My mind is blown that someone had the gall to mention Bill Cosby and Jerry Sandusky in this thread. VERY different situations.
Let’s go back to the original report from the Title IX office/Affirmative Action office and their three recommendations
1.Individual students accused in the complaint should be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs for further action = could mean expulsion ??
2.Athletic Director Todd Stewart should determine the appropriate next steps regarding team leadership = could mean firing of head coach ??
3.AD Stewart should consider the involvement of the swim team from an organizational perspective for its future = could mean discontinuation of sport program ??
unfair that the actions of a few can spoil the opportunities for many, but that is the way it is in so many instances in life. will be interesting to… Read more »
I feel like stuff like this happens at every college in some way or another. One person’s grudges shouldn’t cause a whole team this much trouble.
Let’s not shift the blame here. It is not “one person’s grudge” that is causing a whole team trouble, it is the actions of the team members who chose to haze that are causing their team trouble. No hazing, no Title IX problem.
With the ongoing structural changes in the NCAA, athletic departments will come under increasing financial burdens that could especially endanger men’s swimming programs. Do you really think an AD with budget issues and a swim team with hazing problems is going to be convinced he should keep the swimming program. Coaches need to change the culture of their teams if they want to help make sure their teams exist in the future.
Want insight on… Read more »
I think a AD should consider the success and growth of the team over the past few years. All I am saying is that this one small incident that takes place without reaction at every other school should not be the downfall of the team. If if there even was ‘hazing’,it should not have to affect everyone on the team and the student athletes who are already recruited for next year. Unlike at a fraternities, the shutdown of an athletic program would cause the loss of scholarships for the athletes on the team, and the loss of interest for future athletes. One incident shouldn’t ruin the many years and lives invested in the program.
First, it was apparently more than one incident. The article refers to a 2012 e-mail from a former swimmer that apparently described a prior incident of hazing and sexual harassment.
Second, a university is required by federal law to take disciplinary action when there is a finding of a Title IX violation, and a university is required to take action to protect its students from potential future violations.
Third, the AD must therefore act on the specific recommendations given in the Title IX finding.
I would suggest that those who value the “many years and lives invested in the program” should be the first to make sure that Title IX violations arising out of hazing do not take place… Read more »
Must have been awful for him when he was “forced” to drink the alcohol he bought with his OWN money and HIS FAKE I.D. Do not let a biased article sway your thoughts on WKU and the awesome program, coaches, and athletes they have there.
My thoughts are that coaches cannot ‘let the inmates run the asylum’ — so to speak. Expectations and consequences should be clearly defined at the onset…..and they should be upheld throughout the WHOLE year for EVERY athlete. Some will need less motivation to act like adults than others, but coaches can’t afford to let a few pull down a whole program over the years because they leave it all to the ‘team family’ to ‘handle’. Have seen it happen and it isn’t pretty.
Since one person came forward with these allegations then OF COURSE they are true and everyone in the program since it’s inception has been raped! Awful quick to jump to that word, especially since it hasn’t even been used in the investigation.
Bad Parent – calm the hell down