Abuses Detailed in Colorado Football Program
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By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS [/SIZE]
ENVER, March 1 (AP) - The grand jury that investigated Colorado's football program found that two female trainers said they had been sexually assaulted by an assistant coach, and that a slush fund was created with money from Coach Gary Barnett's football camp, according to a report leaked to the news media.
Money was kept in 16 or 17 cash boxes, each managed by a different person with little oversight, according to the grand jury's findings, which were obtained by KUSA-TV and shared with The Denver Post.
On Tuesday, a person speaking on condition of anonymity who has seen the grand jury report confirmed the accuracy of the news reports to The Associated Press.
The grand jury reported that two trainers said they had been sexually assaulted by an assistant coach and that one was "coerced to perform sexual favors for players and recruits repeatedly over a two-year period." It was not immediately clear if the women testified to the grand jury.
The grand jury, which finished meeting last Aug. 19, handed up a single indictment accusing Nathan Maxcey, a former football recruiting aide, of soliciting a prostitute for himself and misusing a college-issued cellphone. Maxcey has not entered a plea. It was not clear why the panel did not issue more indictments.
The scandal surfaced a year ago. At least nine women have said they were assaulted by Colorado football players or recruits since 1997. A parallel investigation by Ken Salazar, the attorney general at the time, resulted in no charges; prosecutors cited concerns about evidence and the reluctance of the women to go forward with the cases.
Dan Hopkins, a spokesman for Gov. Bill Owens, said Owens would consult with Attorney General John Suthers about whether an investigation should be reopened.
In statements issued Monday night, Barnett said he could not comment because of grand jury secrecy rules. The president at Colorado, Betsy Hoffman, said the university did not tolerate sexual harassment and had made changes in the athletic department.
District Judge Jeff Bayless had ruled that the grand jury report should remain secret. The state attorney general's office is appealing the decision and wants the report made public.
The report concurred with an independent commission's finding last year that players used sex, alcohol and marijuana as recruiting tools without the football staff encouraging or sanctioning it. Grand jurors added that officials' denial of knowledge about the practices "demonstrates either conscious disregard of these circumstances or a lack of oversight of recruiting practices."
In November, The Rocky Mountain News published details of an audit report presented to the grand jury that questioned numerous unexplained transactions, including $780,000 in deposits to the Gary Barnett Football Technique School. The audit said the use of "large amounts" of money labeled petty cash was undocumented.