Baylor acknowledges it is being investigated by NCAA
Baylor acknowledged in a court filing that it is being investigated by the NCAA.
According to the Associated Press, Baylor’s lawyers asked a federal judge to keep its communications with the NCAA — regarding an “ongoing, pending investigation” — protected from attorneys of the women who have sued the school for various alleged incidents of sexual assault.
Baylor contends the school must maintain the confidentiality of the NCAA’s investigation process, though the school could turn over some information to plaintiffs’ attorneys who make specific requests. Providing all communications with the NCAA, including what documents it had requested and who had been interviewed, could compromise the investigation, Baylor’s lawyers argued.
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The news of an NCAA inquiry was previously reported by ESPN in February and May. In February, ESPN said the NCAA was “casting a wide net” to determine if the school’s sexual assault scandal, much of which involved football players, resulted in rules violations. Later, in May, ESPN reported that interviews, with “current and former Baylor employees and alleged victims,” were ongoing, but no Notice of Allegations had been issued. Additionally, ESPN reported that the NCAA’s line of questioning centered on whether student-athletes received improper benefits.
Baylor hired law firm Pepper Hamilton to investigate its handling of an array of sexual assault accusations at the school. The school’s regents held a meeting with the NCAA after the summary findings of the investigation were released. The findings led to the firing of head coach Art Briles, the resignation of athletic director Ian McCaw and removal of president Ken Starr, but many specifics have yet to be revealed publicly.
Other specifics could come soon with the Waco Tribune reporting Monday that information about “every alleged sexual assault reported to Baylor since 2003” will be released “soon” by the school itself. From the Tribune:
The information, organized in a spreadsheet, will include the following, according to the university: Date of alleged assault, Date alleged assault was reported to Baylor employee, Whether alleged victim was Baylor student, Gender of alleged victim, Gender of alleged assailant, Whether Baylor knew the identity of alleged victim, Whether Baylor knew the identity of alleged assailant, Whether alleged victim asked Baylor to keep the alleged assailant’s identity confidential, Location of alleged assault, How Baylor learned of alleged assault, Specific offices or type of Baylor personnel who were made aware of alleged assault and Disposition of complaint.
The categories will provide “a comprehensive overview of available information while protecting student privacy,” the university wrote, and use of waivers for federal privacy rights are unnecessary.
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Per the Tribune, Baylor requested a total of 60 days to prepare the information from cases between 2003 and February 2016. The release of the information is pending a court decision.
“Baylor has made a proposal to the court regarding contested issues in pending litigation,” a Monday university statement said. “The court has not yet ruled on this proposal. This information has yet to be compiled and is separate from the investigation conducted by Pepper Hamilton.”
For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
