Allegations of Sexual Harassment Led to Golf Coach's Resignation
by T Kyle King on May 14, 2007 8:56 PM EDT
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PrintNCT had a reasonable question, to which I had only the bare bones of an answer.
Georgia women's golf coach Todd McCorkle announced his resignation for "personal reasons" on May 7. The timing was exceedingly strange, coming just days before Georgia began competing in the N.C.A.A. Championships as the top seed in the Central Regional and just days after Coach McCorkle won his second S.E.C. Coach of the Year Award.
The Red & Black, characterizing the resignation as "abrupt," reported that an assistant coach would act as head coach during the regional competition. In addition, Golfweek reported:
Several Georgia players would not comment when reached by Golfweek. McCorkle did not immediately return phone calls. . . .
Georgia athletic director Damon Evans said McCorkle would remain on the athletic association staff in another capacity.
Initially, beyond reporting what few facts were known publicly, I steered clear of this story because I had absolutely no evidence upon the basis of which to doubt Coach McCorkle's statement that this decision would provide him the flexibility to assist his wife with her professional golfing career. I presumed that this was his motivation for resigning . . . although I could not help but notice that his quotation ("Coaching at Georgia has been a great experience but this will allow me more flexibility in assisting my wife with her LPGA career") stopped somewhat short of saying that this was his reason.
In the meantime, questions such as NCT's remained unanswered. If there were personal reasons for Coach McCorkle's resignation, it made perfect sense that he wouldn't immediately return telephone calls. Why, though, would his players refuse to comment? Why wouldn't they say, "Coach McCorkle told us he wanted to help his wife with her career as a professional golfer"?
Furthermore, why was his resignation immediately effective? The Red & Black was right . . . it was abrupt for the coach to quit during the very week that his team was to begin competing for a national championship, necessitating that an assistant coach take over for him.
Finally, if Golfweek's report was correct, why was Craig White tagging along with the team? White's diverse background includes an eight-year stint as an academic counselor and certification as a sport psychologist. Was White, who holds a Ph.D., being sent with the team to assist them during this trying transitional time, or was there more to it? Why, we were left to wonder, was his alleged presence on the trip reported by Golfweek and not by the University?
Regrettably, the other shoe finally has dropped. Early inklings of this were given when White reportedly stated that an investigation had been completed, the results of which could not be released until 10 days after the conclusion of the investigation, in compliance with University policy.
Following some initial foreshadowing by Tiffany Joh, the word came down from SportsBlogs Nation's golf weblogger at Waggle Room, Mulligan Stu, who posted a story at his own weblog and a diary here at Dawg Sports in which he passed along information reported by the Associated Press:
McCorkle was said to have shared a sexually explicit Paris Hilton video from the Internet with the team. Players reported McCorkle shared remarks about bras and underwear color. Other comments were more explicit, referring to male anatomy. There was a mention by one player of inappropriate physical contact.
The news story cites a memorandum that "was one of several documents obtained in response to an open records request filed by the AP" which "included 48 pages of handwritten notes by school investigators from interviews with current and former players."
The memo referred to by Associated Press sportswriter Charles Odum reportedly came from Steve Shewmaker, the University's executive director for legal affairs. As described by Odum, Shewmaker's memo informed Coach McCorkle that "he violated the university's Non-Discrimination Anti-Harassment Policy."
"This finding," Shewmaker reportedly wrote, "is based, in part, on your statements made during our investigation. For example, you admitted you told one of the team members she looked 'sexy' on the way to the SEC tournament banquet."
The memo, which characterized such comments as having "the effect of creating a hostile or offensive environment," reportedly advised Coach McCorkle:
The memo, which reportedly was issued three days before the news of Coach McCorkle's resignation was made public, allegedly informed Coach McCorkle that he would be suspended without pay for the month of July.
Reasonable citizens may debate the proper parameters of the sort of conduct constituting legally actionable harassment, but, if Odum's report of the findings of the University investigation is accurate, it is difficult to have sympathy for a 44-year-old coach engaging in this sort of behavior with young women in their teens and early 20s while they are under his charge. Given what has been reported today, Coach McCorkle's decision to step down certainly was a prudent one under the circumstances.
Perhaps it is just a sign of the times in which we live, but, when the male coach of an all-female sports squad steps down abruptly, the first question that pops into most of our minds is whether he directed inappropriate actions or remarks of a sexual nature towards his players. Obviously, it would have been irresponsible to have raised such questions publicly without any evidence, but it's something I (and, no doubt, many of you) wondered. I am grateful to Mulligan Stu of Waggle Room for bringing us the unfortunate confirmation of our worst fears.
Go 'Dawgs!
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Wow.
Actually, blackertai . . .
The emphasis added is mine and, if true, that takes these alleged improprieties to a whole different level.
Also of interest are the different ways in which University officials explained why the information was released on Monday. Golfweek reported the following (with emphasis added):
President Michael Adams, on the other hand, reportedly put the matter quite differently. According to the Journal-Constitution, here is how Il Duce framed his response (again, with emphasis added):
Those are very different answers. Clayton indicated that the University was releasing the documents on Monday because the University could not release them sooner; Adams seemed to indicate that the University was releasing the documents on Monday because the University did not have to release them sooner.
Add to that Il Duce's snotty "quite frankly"---which suggested a grossly disproportionate sense of proper priorities by placing the outcome of an athletic competition ahead of the integrity of the University of Georgia and the well-being of students who allegedly were subjected to inappropriate conduct by a University employee---and we are left to marvel at Michael Adams's dumbfounding inability to comprehend the nuances of his job description.
Adams holds a master's degree in political communication and a doctorate in political communication with an emphasis in educational administration, yet he seems stupefyingly incapable of expressing himself in a manner that reflects well upon the institution for which he speaks. During a trying time such as this, a steady hand and a prudent voice are warranted, yet, once again, Michael Adams is proceeding in a hamhanded manner and putting his foot in his mouth.
Some observations
Second, I agree that premature public speculation would not have been appropriate, and my previous inquiry was certainly no request for anyone to do so. I just figured someone may have heard something from a reliable source, and I wasn't prepared to start assuming the reason for the departure was any inappropriate action on Coach McCorkle's part.
Third, McCorkle said nothing like this had ever happened at his previous employments. I really do have a hard time believing that the behavior described in the most recent articles is the kind of thing that someone simply takes up at a certain point in one's life. A man who is so comfortable talking and acting in this way around (hey, let's face it) girls has almost certainly been doing it his entire adult life (and longer). I bet there have been plenty of knowing nods among UGA alumnae and some Arizona women over this story.
Il Duce
Leave it to Mikey to make a huge mess just a little bigger.
On Adams there is no disagreement
Well put, 34hawk
Michael Adams simply lacks the P.R. skills necessary for such a post, as evidenced by the way he expressed himself. Had he said the University was releasing the documents as quickly as the law allowed and he was concerned about the effect that premature disclosure would have on the emotional well-being of the student-athletes affected by this investigation, he would have come across much more favorably while saying essentially the same thing. At times like these, distinctions like those matter.
NCT, I did not mean to imply that you asked for unfounded speculation; I know that you were just trying to get to the bottom of a situation that seemed (and turned out to be) peculiar. I just regretted being unable to offer even informed speculation before now. I appreciated getting the question and, as much as I regret the answer, I am glad that we now know the real reason behind this resignation.
Speculation
I appreciate the criticism of Adams, but I still disagree in this case. Yes, he could have said it better (as you pointed out), but to the extent that his actual statement was subject to more than one interpretation, I have a hard time understanding why an interpretation that skews toward the impolitic is the more reasonable one. But then, I've never shared the heated animosity regarding Adams that is so prevalent in the community. I wouldn't say I'm a fan, by any means, and perhaps I haven't followed his presidency as closely as I might have. I'll go so far as to say that I am a bit prejudiced against the anti-Adams sentiment because such a large part of it (in my estimation) stems from the resignation of St. Vincent (or more specifically the decision not to grant the request to rescind the resignation), and everything else Adams has done has been viewed by many through the angry lens of that transaction (which, in retrospect, has turned out pretty damn good). (I'll note that you, Kyle, don't appear to fit squarely into that group and that your criticism of Adams is based on a broader range of incidents.)
And in case it didn't come across, although I have always liked Dooley and think he was a very good coach (a career arguably made great by the sine qua non from Wrightsville) and a stellar administrator, I think the bases for his canonization have been greatly exaggerated. But I'll hold something back for when the "Sanford-Dooley Stadium" or "Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium" proposals start to gain traction.
More from Golfweek
http://www.golfweek.com/college/story/mccorkle_news_051407
According to this article, McCorkle interviewed for the Georgia job after coaching the national championship team (including Jenna Daniels, the individual champion) at Arizona in 2000. He got the job and moved to Athens without his wife, whom he divorced. Daniels apparently visited often, and they were married in 2004. I'd think this history would heighten the discomfort among the UGA players caused by the conduct described in the AJC article.
And there's more . . .
And I also find Il Duce's characterization troubling. While it's laudible to want to protect the players during a stressful time, it's another thing altogether to essentially say "you'll find out when I'm darn good and ready to tell you." That violates both the letter and the spirit of Georgia's open government laws. But I can't say I'm really surprised.
In the end, it looks like McCorkle was doing the kind of things that should have gotten him fired. It's just a shame that Mike Adams found a way to be a pompous jackass even in what should have been a sympathetic role for him. It's just, pardon the pun, par for the course.
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