Big Blue Nation should demand Barnhart’s resignation over UK swim coach case | Opinion

On April 12, a 93-page lawsuit was filed against former head swim coach Lars Jorgensen, current UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart, and former swim coach Gary Conelly, alleging the University of Kentucky’s complicity in enabling Jorgensen’s violent acts of rape, sexual harassment, assault, and exploitation of female coaches and swimmers. Mark Pope was appointed the new head coach of Kentucky Men’s Basketball on the same day, overshadowing the shocking allegations. Despite reporting by Herald Leader journalist John Cheves, there has been a notable absence of public outcry.

Jorgensen has denied all allegations and blamed the “woke” NCAA for targeting him due to his support of former UK swimmer, Riley Gaines.

As reported by Cheves, in 2012, UK Athletic Director, Mitch Barnhart, and then current Head Swim Coach, Gary Conelly, received an email from a former colleague and swim coach at University of Toledo, Mark Howard. The email warned them of Jorgensen having previously engaged in a sexual relationship with a student while working at Toledo. Howard stressed that female athletes weren’t safe around Jorgensen.

Barnhart never responded to the email and Conelly contacted the former Toledo student and went to her directly. He claimed she stated it was a consensual relationship and that sometimes coaches date their athletes. The matter was dropped. By 2013, Conelly was retiring and Jorgensen was about to be promoted to head coach of the UK swim, again Howard contacted UK with his concerns, again it fell on deaf ears.

In 2019, University of Kentucky was, again, contacted about Jorgensen’s behavior. This time by a San Jose State official that was notified Jorgensen had sexually assaulted a woman on the Kentucky swim staff. A week after the complaint was submitted, the Title IX complaint was closed due to the victim declining to speak to a school official. No further investigation was done.

If swimming carried the cultural capital of UK football or basketball, we would not stop talking about these allegations. Proof being that popular radio show KSR had Mitch Barnhart on their show April 12 and the allegations were not mentioned, this story has been overshadowed by concerns of who will Mark Pope bring on as his assistant coaches, what transfers he brings in, who is going out and what this means to former UK coach, John Calipari.

We can be both basketball fans and disgusted by the blatant negligence shown by Barnhart and Conelly by hiring Jorgensen. As Kentucky fans, it is essential we put pressure on the University for transparency, to ensure that the school remains a safe place for student athletes to attend.

The BBN does not want to see U.K. be compared to Michigan State and Larry Nassar. We need to demand action outside of a P.R. statement and ask for the immediate resignation of Mitch Barnhart as Kentucky’s Athletic Director. We need to stand with the victims and show them our support in demanding action.

Katie Kerns has lived in Lexington since 1992 and currently resides there with her husband and three children.