http://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/ar...ylor-reputation-ahead-sexual-assault-concerns
After Kim Mulkey won her 500th game as coach of the Baylor Bears, she took the microphone and unleashed a
blistering critique on those who have questioned Baylor's institutional excellence or commitment to safety in the wake of a massive scandal involving football and rape.
Here's the most problematic part of what she said:
"If somebody [is] around you, and they ever say, 'I will never send my daughter to Baylor,' you knock them right in the face," Mulkey told the Baylor fans in the arena.
As an example of absurdity, assaulting people concerned about assault works well. As a comment from an authority figure on how to treat those who raise concerns about Baylor, it most certainly doesn't.
Rod Aydelotte/AP
Baylor coach Kim Mulkey celebrated her 500th win on Saturday, then defended the school from criticism over sexual assault allegations.
Some facts to keep in mind: The most recent civil lawsuit involving the school alleges that 52 rapes were committed by 31 members of the football team. Those are unproven allegations, but a commissioned report from the law firm Pepper Hamilton was so damning that the school fired football coach Art Briles, athletic director Ian McCaw resigned and former school president Ken Starr was demoted and later left. Starr was floated for a position in President Donald Trump's adminstration, which is a whole other story. As was Briles' bold move to file a defamation suit against the school, which he later dropped.
Given that the
Pepper Hamilton report found that football coaches had overlooked or attempted to shut down reports of rape, and that the school's Title IX coordinator has
corroborated an atmosphere hostile to alleged victims of rape and assault, prospective students and their parents might reasonably consider the issue as a factor in weighing which school to attend.
As a side note, if you are in the market for a college education, you should absolutely be asking administrators about their track record when it comes to sexual assault on campus.
But back to Mulkey.
"The problems we have at Baylor are no different than the problems at any other school in America. Period," Mulkey said. "Move on, find another story to write."
Having heard from several Baylor alumni, Mulkey has a point. This story is brutal, and it's ongoing. It makes Baylor look awful, and there are many people working within the college community to ensure that people in power never overlook these issues again. There are conduits of change trying to make Baylor a better place and who want those efforts to be noted as part of the overall story.
But this wasn't the way to go about it. Although Mulkey told espnW's Mechelle Voepel on Sunday that she regretted her choice of words, it's hard to dismiss her comments.
And the dozens of people who have reported rape and sexual assault can't simply forget.
And that was the real problem with Mulkey's speech. The alleged victims in this case were overlooked. Unlike other students and faculty who are tired of being the poster child for football worship and institutional protectiveness, they will not be able to simply "move on."
That Mulkey and her daughter have had a great experience at Baylor is wonderful, but it doesn't negate the bad things that were alleged to have happened to other people on campus -- or the
alleged criminal acts involving football players.
If what happened at Baylor is happening at other schools, we need to write about every place where it is happening. There should be investigations at those schools; there should be lawsuits filed at those schools. To think, even for a moment, that 52 alleged rapes at other universities would mean it isn't a story at Baylor is dumbfounding.
But here is the biggest problem with what Mulkey said: How can any student feel like they could report an issue to her?
Certainly Mulkey isn't the only administrator at Baylor who wants the bad news to stop. So, knowing the tarnished image of the school, knowing the defensiveness of some in the athletic department -- could a victim feel like he or she will get a fair hearing?
In a perfect world, Baylor could educate its students to a high standard without another one facing date rape or harassment, but that isn't likely.
And when a student needs to come forward and find refuge, seek counseling, medical care or support at Baylor, that student needs to feel safe enough to speak up to a trusted teacher or coach.
Mulkey's speech again put the idea of a beloved institution, its reputation and its image, above the concerns of sexual assault. And that's what contributed to this problem in the first place. Baylor's problems spring from the idea that football is more important than the victims in the wake of its success.
Her 500th win was a moment for Mulkey to revel in. Instead, in an attempt to defend Baylor, she has raised troubling questions about how this athletic program can move forward while keeping the lessons from the very recent past.