Baylor University football scandal

Former Baylor Head Football Coach Art Briles in 2014

In 2016, Baylor University's football team came under fire when it was revealed university officials failed to take action regarding alleged rapes and other assaults committed by football players. The scandal led to the ouster of Head Football Coach Art Briles, the demotion and eventual resignation of Baylor University President Ken Starr, the resignation of Athletic Director Ian McCaw, and the firing of two others connected with the football program.^[1]

Summary

In September 2015, following the conviction of former players Sam Ukwuachu^{[2][3][4][5][6]} and Tevin Elliot of sexual assault, along with allegations against other players, the school commissioned law firm Pepper Hamilton LLP to conduct an independent external investigation regarding the university's handling of sexual violence. In April 2016, former player Shawn Oakman was arrested on sexual assault charges as well.^[7] Head coach Art Briles was terminated on May 26, 2016 following the presentation of Pepper Hamilton's report. University President Ken Starr and Athletic Director Ian McCaw also resigned.^[8] Former Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe was hired on an interim basis.^[9][10]

Following the threat of a lawsuit by Briles for wrongful termination, Baylor provided an out-of-court settlement. Briles and Baylor are co-defendants in a lawsuit filed by a woman allegedly sexually assaulted by a football player.^[11] After Briles's departure, many players announced their intention to transfer including Jarrett Stidham. Seven members of the 2016 recruiting class requested to be released from their National Letter of Intent, and six of the then-seven commits in the 2017 recruiting class decommitted.^[12]

Timeline

2012

• April 30, 2012: Football player Tevin Elliot is arrested on multiple charges of illegal sexual contact with a female on campus.^[13]
• January 23, 2014: With four women, in addition to the original accuser, coming forward with accusations, Tevin Elliot is convicted.^[14] Tanya, one of the women, stated Elliot pushed her into the mud, raped her, and then allowed her to get up. He then immediately shoved her, face first, into a metal fence and raped her again.^[15]
• January 24, 2014, Elliot is sentenced to two decades in a detention facility and fined US $10,000.^[16]

2015

• June 2015: According to Defensive Coordinator Phil Bennett, player Sam Ukwuachu, who transferred from Boise State, would play for Baylor in 2014. However, soon thereafter, Ukwuachu is indicted for sexually assaulting a Baylor soccer player.^[17]
• August 17, 2015: Sam Ukwuachu's trial begins.^[16]
• August 20, 2015: After deliberating for five and half hours, the jury returns a guilty verdict for sexual assault charges against Ukwuachu.^[18]
• August 21, 2015: Ukwuachu is legally mandated to serve six months in a non-prison detention facility and ten years of probation.^[19] Ken Starr, the top position-holder at the school, orders an internal investigation to ascertain how Ukwuachu was allowed to transfer in. Baylor Coach Art Briles claims he did not know why Ukwuachu transferred from Boise State, but Boise State Coach Chris Petersen states he informed Briles.^[16]
• September 2, 2015: Baylor hires Pepper Hamilton to look into Baylor's response to rape-type assaults on school grounds.^[20]
• September 3, 2015: Starr claims Boise State did not give any indication that Ukwuachu's had undertaken bad acts before he departed the school.^[21]
• September 28, 2015: Ukwuachu, with a new attorney, files legal paperwork for another trial.^[22]
• October 26, 2015: A judge denies Ukwuachu's motion for a new trial.^[23]
• December 31, 2015: Baylor settles a lawsuit filed by the former soccer player assaulted by Ukwuachu.^[24]

2016

• January 31, 2016: Outside the Lines releases a video report of multiple females saying Tevin Elliot forced himself upon them without their consent. One victim claims she informed a member of the Baylor faculty of the assault but was told the university could take no action in the absence of a court decision.^[25]
• February 7, 2016: Due to criticism of his handling of the scandal, Ken Starr releases a statement saying, "Our hearts break for those whose lives are impacted by execrable acts of sexual violence." ^[26]
• March 30, 2016: Jasmin Hernandez, the former Baylor attendee that suffered sexual assault by Elliot, files a lawsuit against the university over its failure to properly handle sexual-assault complaints.^[27]
• April 5, 2016: Baylor places "Real Men Respect Women" placards at the practice field.^[28]
• April 7, 2016: A Baylor graduate student accuses previous university player Shawn Oakman of sexually assaulting her.^[16]
• April 13, 2016: Oakman is arrested by Waco police.^[29]
• April 25, 2016: Oakman is accused of another assault, which occurred in 2013.^[30]
• May 5, 2016: In a report released by Sue Ambrose and David Tarrant of the Dallas Morning News, some within the Baylor community criticize Starr for being silent about rape and rape-type offenses on school grounds and for how the school puts football above crime victims.^[31]
• May 13, 2016: The university states that its board has received the report from Pepper Hamilton regarding rape and rape-type offenses at Baylor, but it refuses to divulge the information to the general populace.^[32]
• May 18, 2016: Outside the Lines publishes a report accusing Waco PD of obfuscating the sexual abuse allegations made against Baylor football players. The report claims one victim reported her assault to both Art Briles and Starr but they took no action.^[33]
• May 26, 2016: A summary of the Pepper Hamilton Report is released to the public.^[34]
• May 30, 2016: Baylor hires Jim Grobe to replace Briles as head coach.
• May 31, 2016: Two football staff members are fired by the university in relation to the findings of the Pepper Hamilton Report.^[35]
• June 1, 2016: Multiple Baylor 2016 signees request to be released from the team. The releases are subsequently granted. Baylor’s 2017 signing class also soon falls apart.^[36]
• June 3, 2016: During an interview with a public relations expert, Starr admits it was possible that he laid eyes on a digital communication from a previous attendee with the subject, "I was raped at Baylor." The expert immediately ended the interview.^[37]
• June 6, 2016: Despite pressure from the public and Baylor’s alumni base, the university announces it refuses to divulge the complete Pepper Hamilton findings.^[38]
• June 7, 2016: Dolores Lozano, an ex-manager for the school's acrobatics and tumbling team, states Briles and running backs coach, Jeff Lebby, took no action against running back Devin Chafin after she reported being physically assaulted three times by him. Baylor released a response statement but did not claim Briles and Lebby were unaware of what Chafin did.^[39][40]
• June 9, 2016: Even amidst accusations of wrongdoing, Baylor chooses to retain its player development staff, except for Briles who had already been fired. Also on June 9, 2016, a university attendee says she was sexually assaulted by someone still who was still a player.^[41]
• June 10, 2016: The university and the former head football coach try to settle a lawsuit by a woman who claimed the school did not act on her complaints regarding being raped by Baylor Bears football player.^[42]
• June 13, 2016: University donors begin an effort to have Briles rehired as head coach.^[43]
• June 15, 2016: Multiple more woman file lawsuits against the school for not acting following their claims of rape or rape-type offenses.^[44]
• June 16, 2016: Briles accuses the university of scapegoating and wrongfully terminating him.^[45]
• June 17, 2016: Briles reaches a settlement with Baylor regarding the payoff for his legally-binding agreement to work at the school. Also on June 17, 2016, a graduate of the school takes out a full-page newspaper ad criticizing Starr.^[46]
• June 20, 2016: A former Baylor student called Jane Doe, brings a federal lawsuit against the university, accusing it of forming a "hunting ground for sexual predators." She claims she was administered a substance and kidnapped from a house not on school grounds. Additionally on June 20, 2016, a lawyer for a former attendee that was sexually assaulted by a member of the university’s gridiron team in 2012 claims Briles failed to keep his word to aid and say sorry to the wronged party.^[47]
• June 22, 2016: The Big 12 Conference asks the university to release the papers in regard to the rapes and rape-type offenses at Baylor.^[48]
• June 28, 2016: Claiming Baylor did not act following their advisements of rapes or rape-type offenses, three more women join a federal lawsuit against the university.^[49]
• June 29, 2016: Bob Bowlsby, Big 12 commissioner, tells reporters the university still has not released the requested documents concerning the sexual assault scandal.^[50]
• July 6, 2016: Briles asks a top court official on the national level to remove him from the lawsuit accusing him and top university faculty of not regarding a female’s assertions she was sexually assaulted by Elliot.^[51]
• July 7, 2016: In the wake of the scandal, quarterback Jarrett Stidham announces he will transfer from Baylor.^[52]
• July 13, 2016: Briles states he will coach again in 2017. Baylor hires Mack Rhoades to replace Ian McCaw.^[53]
• July 19, 2016: At Big 12 media days, Grobe claims that acting badly is not normal at Baylor and states that Baylor’s issues are common to every school. Bowlsby makes inconsistent statements regarding the Big 12’s knowledge of the scandal and personal opinions on it.^[54]
• July 20, 2016: Oakman is indicted for sexually assault a Baylor graduate student after he "forced" his person onto that individual at his Waco residence.^[55]
• July 23, 2016: An additional female joins the federal lawsuit against the school because it failed to aid her and individuals who were not her following their claims of rape or rape-type offenses.^[56]
• July 25, 2016: Brenda Tracy, an activist for sexual assault victims, talks to the Baylor Bears football team about the scandal.^[57]
• July 28, 2016: A terminated university employee files a petition seeking more information as to why he was fired following the Pepper Hamilton findings. He claims both Briles and McCaw were aware of a claimed offense.^[58]
• August 2, 2016: Baylor changes its media policy to prohibit assistant coaches from speaking to the media.^[59]
• August 6, 2016: Briles and Baylor file legal requests to end the Title IX complaint created by the school attendee that was sexually assaulted by Elliot.^[60]
• August 9, 2016: Speaking to reporters, Briles claims the fuss shall not prevent him for obtaining employment as a head coach.^[61]
• August 16, 2016: Briles tells reporters, “I've never done anything illegal, immoral or unethical.” ^[62]
• August 19, 2016: Starr steps down as a law school professor at Baylor days before classes start for the 2016/17 academic year.^[63]
• September 10, 2016: Briles apologizes for his part in the school’s scandal, saying "I made mistakes. I did wrong, but I'm not doing this trying to make myself feel better for apologizing. I understand I made some mistakes. There was some bad things that went on under my watch. I was the captain of this ship. The captain of the ship goes down with it." Stephen A. Smith compares Briles to Joe Paterno harboring child molester Jerry Sandusky at Penn State.^[64]
• September 16, 2016: Briles and Oakman attend Baylor's game against Rice in Houston. Briles leaves at halftime and Oakman goes into locker room after the game.^[65]
• September 19, 2016: Regarding Oakman stopping by to see players during the Rice game, Grobe tells the news outlets, "I don't know who he is." Baylor Quarterback Seth Russell defends Oakman claiming, "He's a great guy, just in a bad situation. We're not going to hold anything against him." ^[66][67]
• September 21, 2016: Grobe backtracks his comments about Oakman, claiming he knew who the player was but is not familiar with his physical appearance.^[68]
• September 21, 2016: Briles and McCaw are taken out of a legal complaint by a female that stated they and Baylor did not pay attention to her assertions that she was sexually assaulted by a previous football person who had thereafter been found guilty.^[69]
• September 24, 2016: Starr claims Baylor does not suffer for an institutional issue and calls for the school to reveal the complete Pepper Hamilton findings. He defends Briles as an “honorable man” and criticizes news outlets for mishandling reporting.^[70]
• September 30, 2016: Brenda Tracy, helper of those who have suffered rape and rape-type offenses, writes an article for The Huffington Post, claiming a school football player-development specialist pulled her aside following her meeting with the football players. "He was obviously very angry and defensive about what was happening. I was shocked by what he was saying. He knew that I had a voice in the media and he was doing nothing but making Baylor look guilty and he was validating for me that the football culture and that all the claims being made against them and Briles were probably true." ^[71]
• October 4, 2016: Patty Crawford, the Title IX coordinator at Baylor, resigns her job after less than two years. The university releases a statement saying, "Our understanding is that Patty was disappointed in her role in implementing the recommendations that resulted from the Pepper Hamilton investigation." ^[72]
• October 5, 2016: Crawford claims that, after she upped the school’s claims of rapes and rape-type offenses by 700% as the Title IX coordinator, the school's administration sought to quiet her. "I was being retaliated against.”^[73]
• October 11, 2016: Grobe contradicts the school's information about the dismissal of defensive lineman Jeremy Faulk. The university’s leaders stated it was Grobe’s choice to dismiss the player because he was looked at for a rape or rape-type offense. However, Grobe reveals it was actually a choice made by school leaders.^[74]
• October 19, 2016: The Texas Tribune reports that the United States Department of Education began a Title IX investigation regarding the schools response to rape and rape-type assaults.^[75]
• October 26, 2016: A Waco Tribune report reveals that claims of rape and rape-type offenses at the school increased about fourfold in 2015.^[76]
• October 28, 2016: Baylor regents tell The Wall Street Journal that the rape and rape-type offenses brouhaha is larger than had been made known. The news piece reveals that, since 2011, seventeen females had asserted that nineteen members of the Bears team had committed rape and rape-type offenses, including four gang rapes. Briles allegedly knew of one of these but did not tell the police or Baylor officials.^[77]
• November 2, 2016: Dallas sports-radio host George Dunham calls for the NCAA to levy the death penalty against Baylor's football program.^[78]
• November 4, 2016: Baylor assistant coaches take to Twitter to voice their support for fired Coach Art Briles.^[79][80]
• November 5, 2016: At the home game against TCU, fans purchase pro-Briles T-shirts.^[81] After the game, Baylor Associate Athletic Director Heath Nielsen physically attacks James McBride of TheBlaze, when he saw McBride take a photo with a player from whom he had permission. Nielsen was arrested on November 8, 2016, in connection with charges relating to the incident.^[82][83]
• November 6, 2016: After finding out about the sale of T-shirts supporting Briles, Brenda Tracy, who advocates for victims of sexual assault, calls for Baylor to end its football season.^[84] There was soon a backlash from some Baylor fans, who sent messages attacking Tracy.^[85] The same day, Randy Cross, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, voices his disgust for the scandal. He said, "I thought (the NCAA) should have stepped in (and punished Baylor for the sexual-assault scandal). I thought Art Briles should have gotten a show-cause. This whole idea that he can be back in coaching, I think, is an embarrassment. It’s not only that; it’s a travesty to those 17 women that have accused these kids of doing what they did."^[86]
• November 8, 2016: Sportswriter Daniel O'Boyle says the NCAA needs to consider using the death penalty in this case.^[87]
• November 10, 2016: McLane Stadium namesake Drayton McLane states that he wants the honor of Briles "restored." He calls for the school to stop withholding the findings of the Pepper Hamilton Report.^[88]
• November 11, 2016: The university admits Briles and McCaw knew of the gang rape of a female student-athlete by five members of the football team. Both men failed to take action.^[89]
• November 12, 2016: Lee Corso and Paul Finebaum call for Baylor to discontinue their football season.^[90]
• November 22, 2016: It is announced that the university had reached a settlement with two students who had been gang raped by Baylor Bears football players.^[91] Also on November 22, Colin Cowherd calls for the program to be shut down. Noting the lack of safety for the media and for women on campus, he said, "Baylor, right now, has not earned the right to be in a Power Five conference."^[92]
• November 25, 2016: Because of the sexual assault scandal, Lubbock's Red Raider Outfitters chooses to not produce and sell commemorative T-shirts for the 2016 Texas Farm Bureau Shootout rivalry game between Baylor and Texas Tech, played at AT&T Stadium. In a social media post, the company stated, "Red Raider Outfitter stands for honesty, integrity, and compassion. In no way, can we support the shockingly poor handling of the sexual assaults at Baylor. Red Raider Outfitter stands with the survivors and with those who are outraged by Baylor’s mismanagement. You, the fans, have spoken and requested that we not allow the Double T to be printed alongside any Baylor logo. Red Raider Outfitter proudly stands with our fans." The Red Raiders win the game, 54–35.^[93]
• November 28, 2016: Former Baylor Athletic Director Ian McCaw is hired to the same position at Liberty University.^[94] Additionally on November 28, current Baylor AD Mack Rhoades announces that, in spite of the scandal and being in the midst of a 5-game losing streak, Baylor would accept a post-season bowl bid to be coached by Interim Head Coach Jim Grobe, who had previously stated he was not interested in returning to Baylor after the current year.^[95]
• November 29, 2016: In explaining why the university would not release the full, written Pepper Hamilton Report, Baylor Regent Dr. Ron Wilson stated, "Pepper Hamilton is an oral report so the process of writing would take four to six months. Also with the personal nature of the information so much of it would be redacted. Plus, the cost would be a factor." ^[96]

References