Gary Barnett Placed on Administrative Leave

[Headache in a Suitcase]

This is one of the most disturbing stories going today. The corruption in "amature" sports on all levels is sickening.

DENVER -- The University of Colorado placed head football coach Gary Barnett on administrative leave Wednesday night as allegations of rape and sordid recruiting practices continue to swirl around the program.


Earlier Wednesday, school president Becky Hoffman said that she was "reserving judgment" on Barnett's future as she publicly adminished Barnett for "unacceptable" criticism of former kicker Katie Hnida, who had just come forward to say she was raped.


Hoffman also said earlier Wednesday that she wanted to know whether there is a "breach of responsibility" regarding the coach's knowledge of the use of sex and alcohol to entice recruits. The president said that she needed to wait for an investigation by an independent panel appointed by the Board of Regents, but that personnel changes would come if the report suggested impropriety.


"We need to know what did coach know (and) when," Hoffman said. "If the allegations are true, we'll probably have new personnel ... My job is at stake, as well."


At the heart of the scandal are federal lawsuits filed by three women who say they were raped by football athletes at or after a December 2001 off-campus recruiting party. Boulder County prosecutor Mary Keenan decided against assault charges in the case, saying the heavy drinking involved would make it too difficult to prove in court. But Keenan gave a deposition in one of the federal suits and said the athletics department offers sex and alcohol to recruits.


Gov. Bill Owens demanded action and the regents formed an independent panel to investigate. It will begin its work in March. Hoffman also said the university will hire a special official to oversee the athletics department report directly to her office.


Hnida, 22, added to the growing scandal earlier this week when she claimed she was raped by a teammate in 2000 after her final season at Colorado. Hoffman said she was shocked by the allegation and urged Hnida to tell police so they can investigate.


Barnett told reporters Tuesday that Hnida never told him about a sexual assault and he knew of no evidence to back up her claim. He said the football program tried to make Hnida comfortable and had provided extra precautions when she told him about a stalker. But he also bluntly criticized Hnida's ability.


"It was obvious Katie was not very good. She was awful," he said. "Katie was not only a girl, she was terrible. OK? There's no other way to say it."


Hoffman said that statement was out of line.


"I have told him in no uncertain terms that that was an unacceptable remark," she said. "You have a rape allegation here. That's a very serious criminal allegation. It's simply inappropriate to essentially blame the victim, which is what he did."

 

[Chizip]

so, a former female kicker on a guys football teams come forward to allege she had been raped, after others had come forward to say they were raped at recruiting sex parties, and this is the coaches defense...

"It was obvious Katie was not very good. She was awful," he said. "Katie was not only a girl, she was terrible. OK? There's no other way to say it."

what a classy, classy guy.

 

[Screaming Flower]

the whole thing makes me sick.

 

[nbcrusader]

so, a former female kicker on a guys football teams come forward to allege she had been raped, after others had come forward to say they were raped at recruiting sex parties, and this is the coaches defense...

"It was obvious Katie was not very good. She was awful," he said. "Katie was not only a girl, she was terrible. OK? There's no other way to say it."

what a classy, classy guy.

I believe the Barnett's statement is made in response to the question, "Why did Katie Hnida leave CU?"

The quote is taken out of context, but makes a great soundbite.

The real story is the use of sex and alcohol in recruiting and Barnett's failure to properly deal with Katie Hnida's situation when she was in school.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I believe the Barnett's statement is made in response to the question, "Why did Katie Hnida leave CU?"

The quote is taken out of context, but makes a great soundbite.

here's a context for ya... don't insult an alleged rape victim durring a press conference about her rape accusation.

Q: "Why did Katie Hnida leave CU?"
Smarter A: "You'd have to talk to her."

i agree that barnett wasn't neccesarily trying to make an excuse for the alleged rape, i believe he was just being insanely stupid.

The real story is the use of sex and alcohol in recruiting and Barnett's failure to properly deal with Katie Hnida's situation when she was in school.

the real story is barnett's failure to deal with the hnida situation properly... the use of sex and alcohol in recruiting may be "shockign" to some, but it certainly isn't shocking to those who've been involved in college athletics. that kinda stuff goes on everywhere... from big time D1 football programs to small insignificant D3 basketball programs... trust me.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Thank you for starting a thread about this headache.

Of course obviously not all athletes are like that, but it's extremely sickening and disturbing to see these allegations. That coach is a pathetic moron, and he should be fired.

Not that it's even relevant, but I saw the writer of the SI article on the news, and he said that Katie was in the top 20 % of high school kickers, and that geez, perhaps her performance at CU had something to do w/ what she was being subjected to.

There is something fundamentally evil about any culture that uses sexual harassment and rape to "teach women" that they don't belong there.

 

[AvsGirl41]

I believe the Barnett's statement is made in response to the question, "Why did Katie Hnida leave CU?"

The quote is taken out of context, but makes a great soundbite.

The real story is the use of sex and alcohol in recruiting and Barnett's failure to properly deal with Katie Hnida's situation when she was in school.

Barnett's statement makes me sick and I think he should be fired...I think he knew very well what was going on at these recruiting parties. But I have to wonder why Hnida didn't handle it herself.

This is obviously a very gutsy, brave girl to be the only female player on a well-known college football team. She obviously fought alot of discrimination along the way. And you never came forward before now? I know very well rape victims often do not come forward because they are ashamed, but something seems off with this new allegation. You can play hard on the field, but you stay silent as they grope you? Come on.

Maybe I'm a different kind of person, but I've played co-ed recreational sports. I know what some guys will say or do to a female player. It takes alot to play on a team with them, but I wouldn't hesitate to call them out if something like this happened to me...nor, I'm betting, would any of the women I played with. But, who can say unless we're in that situation...

Knowing what I know of CU and the kind of people who go there, none of it surprises me at all. I certainly hope this takes some wind out of that place's sails. This college has been rotten for a long time and it's time Colorado quit putting them on a pedestal.

 

[nbcrusader]

Should Barnett be fired for what he said or what he did or did not do??

Focusing on "the quote" diverts attention from true underlying problems that will not protect the next women in the CU athletic program.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Here's a link for the SI article

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/rick_reilly/02/16/hnida/index.html

Anyone can speculate on how she would deal w/ it, but until it happens to you, you have no idea. A rape/sexual harassment victim feels so alone already..in such a male dominated, unsupportive environment, I would think it would be even worse.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

if you want a great film on the corruption level of amature sports today, go rent yourself "he got game" by spike lee.

these "sex parties" aren't anything new. they've been going on at many schools in many different sports and at many different levels.

when a high school athlete goes on a college recruiting trip, he is assigned to a player in the program and stays with that player. the player is given meal money for the recruit. that money is rarely spent on "meals." my meal money on the recruiting trips i went on was always spent on meals of the liquid variety. the player who's hosting the recruit is baisicly given three rules to adhere by... keep him out of jail, keep him out of the hospital, keep him out of the morgue. as long as those three parameters are met, anything and everything is an option.

the thing going on at colorado right now is just the tip of the iceberg

 

[Hewson]

If Katie was that bad a kicker, why did Barnett have her on the team to begin with?
Its one thing to let her tryout, but she must have shown some ability to warrant a roster spot, unless having her on the team was strictly for publicity.(Be careful what you wish for, they got plenty of publicity from her now)

I wonder if they used the same recruiting tactics to lure Katie to CU, maybe some boosters took her to a Chippendales show.

 

[AvsGirl41]

Should Barnett be fired for what he said or what he did or did not do??

Focusing on "the quote" diverts attention from true underlying problems that will not protect the next women in the CU athletic program.

Both.

If he truly did not know anything about these recruitment parties and with Hnida, then he is obviously out of touch with his own football program.

His way of dealing with these revelations has been unprofessional and unsympathetic.

There are probably many more administrators who should also lose their jobs. CU should clean house.

Nor should it be limited to just CU.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

New Sex Allegation Emerges at Colorado

By JOHN MOSSMAN, AP Sports Writer

DENVER - Police said Thursday they are investigating another alleged sexual assault involving a University of Colorado football player, the sixth case to surface in the school's burgeoning athletics scandal.

Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said the alleged assault occurred in August 2001, but would not immediately discuss details. He said a redacted police report would be released later Thursday.

The news came hours after football coach Gary Barnett was placed on administrative leave for criticizing the athletic ability of former Colorado player Katie Hnida after she said she was raped by a teammate four years ago. He called her an "awful" player.

University President Elizabeth Hoffman also said she was dismayed by comments attributed to Barnett in a 2001 police report filed by another woman who said she was raped by a football player.

Barnett, 57, will be on paid leave while an independent committee investigates the growing list of allegations involving the football program, including rapes, alcohol-fueled recruiting parties, escort services and strippers.

Barnett said he disagreed with Hoffman's decision, but would accept it as a "team player."

The coach's comments about Hnida, 22, were "extremely inappropriate and insensitive," and they were the main reason Barnett was put on leave, Hoffman said. "Rape is a horrific allegation and it should be taken seriously," she said.

After chastising Barnett privately Wednesday, Hoffman learned Boulder police had released a report that quoted an unidentified woman saying Barnett told her he "would back his player 100 percent" if rape charges were pursued. The woman declined to file charges.

"We are utterly distressed over the information contained in that report," she said.

Hoffman said she learned of the woman's rape allegation recently, but it was unclear when Barnett first knew of it.

 

[nick_u2]

Barnett needs to go now.

 

[Clark W. Griswold Jr]

If Katie was that bad a kicker, why did Barnett have her on the team to begin with?
Its one thing to let her tryout, but she must have shown some ability to warrant a roster spot, unless having her on the team was strictly for publicity.(Be careful what you wish for, they got plenty of publicity from her now)

I wonder if they used the same recruiting tactics to lure Katie to CU, maybe some boosters took her to a Chippendales show.

Not that this changes anything, but Katie was already on the team when Coach Barnett was hired. She was let on the team by another distinguished CU coach, Rick Neuheisel