BERKELEY, Calif. ― Officials at the University of California, Berkeley, are reviewing whether the men’s head basketball coach correctly handled sexual harassment allegations against one of his assistants.
The review aims “to dispel any doubts” about Coach Cuonzo Martin’s role in the case that led to the firing of assistant coach Yann Hufnagel, athletic director Mike Williams said in a statement late Tuesday.
“We firmly believe the results will support our confidence in Coach Martin,” Williams said.
Supervisors and managers are required to promptly forward any sexual misconduct complaints, and those who fail to do so may face discipline, campus policy says. That includes head coaches, UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said Wednesday.
A report shows the university launched the inquiry into Hufnagel in early July after a female journalist sent Martin a long email describing in graphic detail the unwelcome advances she received from his assistant.
The journalist wrote the email six weeks after she first told Martin by phone about her concern Hufnagel was sexually harassing her. Her name and news organization were redacted from the report released Tuesday.
Hufnagel, 33, is at least the fourth campus employee in the last year to face sexual harassment allegations that were substantiated during campus investigations.
He said in a Tweet Wednesday that he has hired an attorney to fight UC Berkeley’s decision to fire him.
