Brandeis Dumps Officials After Report On Abusive Basketball Coach
Brandeis University men’s basketball coach Brian Meehan was fired after 15 years over claims of racial harassment. Image by Brandeis University
Four months after Brandeis University fired its men’s basketball coach due to allegations of verbal abuse and racial discrimination, the university has accepted the resignation of one top official and demoted two others who were supposed to supervise him, Deadspin reported.
Vice president of student affairs Sheryl Sousa resigned, and athletic director Lynn Dempsey and VP of Human Resources Robin Nelson-Bailey were both “demoted and relieved of leadership and supervisory responsibilities,” being placed on probation, according to a statement by the school.
Former coach Brian Meehan was fired after Deadspoin reported earlier this year that he had used derogatory language towards black players and favored white players during try-outs.
“I don’t want to sit next to him because I’ll get Ebola,” Meehan allegedly said to one black player. “I’ll Ship You Back To Africa,” he reportedly told another. He is also accused of referring to another athlete as “Jew boy.”
An external investigation found that Dempsey and Sousa both had direct contact with players who reported Meehan’s behavior, but no action was taken until Deadspin’s inquiries. The players said Dempsey and Sousa were friends of Meehan’s and continued to take no action against their complaints.
In a move not directly related to the Meehan investigation, Brandeis also fired its swim coach in mid-August for making inappropriate comments about athletes’s weight and physical appearance, Deadspin reported.
Contact Aisha Tahir at tahir@forward.com
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