The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday that the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) was found to be in violation of Title IX after failing to address sexual abuse allegations relating to former head swim coach Chad Cradock.
The DOJ conducted an extensive investigation into allegations that Cradock sexually harassed male swimmers and discriminated against female swimmers, and concluded that UMBC’s “failures allowed the former head coach to exploit his power over student-athletes, prey on student-athletes’ vulnerabilities and engage in egregious and ongoing abuse spanning many years.”
Sexual harassment can include unwelcome sexual touching, sexual assault, and other sexual misconduct. A school violates Title IX when it has notice of sexual harassment that creates a hostile educational environment “and fails adequately to respond.”
-Gebser, 524 U.S. at 290
The DOJ initially opened an investigation into UMBC in November 2020 regarding its response to complaints of student sexual assault. It was during this investigation that the Department received allegations relating to Cradock, and it thus expanded the investigation.
Cradock was not named in the official press release, but was in the DOJ’s letter sent to UMBC notifying it of the violation.
Cradock died by suicide in March 2021 after resigning as UMBC’s head coach in December 2020. He served as the Retrievers’ head coach for 19 seasons dating back to 2001.
The DOJ said in its press release that as early as 2015 and continuing through 2020, UMBC was aware of and failed to respond adequately to allegations that Cradock “filmed students while showering and sexually touched male student-athletes on the pool deck, in the locker room and in the bathroom of the university’s aquatic center.”
Additionally, it was found that from 2016 through 2020, the Athletics Department failed to report several incidents of dating violence by male swimmers against their female teammates. Athletics staff and other male swimmers were also found to have made degrading comments about female swimmers’ bodies, and Cradock also asked invasive questions about their sexual relationships.
“We will not tolerate sexual harassment and abuse of student-athletes on college campuses in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division
“Too many school officials and administrators knew something for UMBC to have done nothing.” The Justice Department will continue to hold our nation’s colleges and universities to their promise to educate students free from sexual harassment and discrimination — our young people deserve nothing less. We will continue to stand with the survivors of sexual harassment and ensure that schools take actions necessary to protect students from this kind of degrading and painful discrimination and abuse.”
UMBC has faced multiple lawsuits regarding Cradock’s misconduct as head coach.
In July 2021, an outside law firm found that he engaged in sexual harassment, and lawsuits were filed in both 2022 and 2023 by former swimmers alleging that the university was at fault for failing to take action on several reports of the abuse.
The DOJ’s investigation included a total of 70 interviews, spanning university administrators, current and former students, and Athletics Department staff, along with four on-campus visits and a review of nearly 200,000 pages of documents.
“Our investigation revealed an enduring hostile environment based on sex in the Athletics Department that affected many student-athletes, both male and female. But we are aware only of the students who spoke to us, whose experiences were detailed in University documents, or who brought their cases to the Title IX Office, despite being discouraged by their coaches or disparaged by their teammates.
“These students’ experiences revealed profound systemwide problems in the University’s response to allegations of sex discrimination that persisted for years.”
Despite the extensive investigation, the Department notes there are likely student-athletes who have graduated and/or transferred and thus haven’t had the opportunity to share their experience.
“The Department acknowledges that there are students who graduated or transferred who likely shared the experiences of sexual abuse and harassment detailed in this letter, or otherwise experienced sex discrimination during their time at the University, but who not have the opportunity to tell their story. The Department remains available to speak to any student who would like to share their perspective.”
The DOJ concludes its letter by saying it will work with UMBC to implement reforms and bring it into compliance with Title IX.
Time to name names of those complicit in this abuse ! Shame them and fire them now !
UMBC still has way to many people left in the Athletic Dept that were present during the time this took place. The President states she is willing to do something about, then lets start seeing the heads ROLL!!!!! Stop protecting those that were protecting the coach. Start at the top of the Athletic dept and work you way on down, stopping short of the new coach and his immediate staff.
Really? I thought they would have all upped and left by now wow
Really! Like they have secret cloak of protection. The entire dept needs turned upside down starting with the Director
The people saying that these victims were not telling the truth, you should be ashamed. As someone who has personally known this coach for years I am appalled. Everyone involved should be held accountable.
So what happens now? They found the school and head coach negligent, but what about all of the people that allowed this to happen? Assistant coaches who knew what was going on? The Administrator who tipped him off about the camera? The title 9 investigators who brushed off reports? How will they be held accountable? Relieved for the victims for resolution and validation, but concerned about how accountability for individuals involved will be taken.
So long for the report to be released. It is such a sad story. So many victims.
Can someone clarify why it is considered a title 9 violation
About 20 years ago, it was determined by courts that Title IX could be interpreted to encompass protection against sexual violence on campuses.
The last three presidential administrations have made varying laws and issued varying guidance to this effect. Obama put a lot of focus on Title IX/sexual violence because there was a rash of universities ignoring sexual assault allegations by student-athletes, notably Baylor University.
https://www.rainn.org/articles/title-ix#:~:text=Over%20time%2C%20court%20cases%20have,accountable%20for%20keeping%20them%20safe.
Glad the victims will finally have some closure. Sad situation all around though.