The entire cheerleading staff at the University of Kentucky was fired, after a three-month investigation into allegations of hazing and inappropriate behavior.
According to USA Today, Head coach Jomo Thompson and assistant coaches Ben Head, Spencer Clan and Kelsey LaCroix were all fired on Monday.
The investigation also cited program adviser T. Lynn Williamson for “lax oversight and poor judgment.” Williamson, who was also the school’s principal deputy general counsel, abruptly retired after learning about the nature of the investigation.
In a Monday press release, UK President Eli Capilouto said:
A commitment we make and renew every day at the University of Kentucky is that the success of our students is at the center of everything that we do. But for that sentiment to be more than words, we must always act in ways that honor that commitment — especially when we discover rare instances where those who supervise and guide our students don’t meet the standards of integrity we expect of each other. This is one of those times. The University of Kentucky has built the nation’s premier collegiate cheerleading program. But regrettably, the integrity of the program has been compromised by inappropriate behavior by some squad members on off-campus trips and by lax oversight by the program’s coaches and advisor.
Investigators of the allegations spoke to more than 60 members of the cheer teams and coaches and staff.
The review discovered the coaches knew or should have known of the alleged hazing. At one retreat at Lake Cumberland, it was alleged that girls were hurled topless, or bottomless, into the lake, and that girls were allowed to ride in boats naked in full view of the coaches and staff during the retreat. The staff was also accused of allowing alcohol to flow freely. And at a training camp in Tennessee, staffers were charged with allowing inappropriate clothing, lewd chants, and other inappropriate behavior by the students. No evidence of sexual assault, misconduct, or violence was uncovered during the investigation.
UK Executive Associate Athletics Director Sandy Bell is set to take over leadership of the cheerleading program.
“The annual retreat will be eliminated, and all off-campus trips will be closely supervised,” Bell announced. “Cheerleading squad members will be held to the same standards as all our student-athletes. It’s a new day for UK cheerleading.”
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