Reporting from James Sutherland contributed to this report.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County has set aside $4.14 million for settlements to individuals who were victims of sexual harassment by former swim coach Chad Cradock. The money requires approval by the Maryland Board of Public Works, which next meets on April 3.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed findings that UMBC had violated Title IX after failing to address sexual abuse allegations relating to former head swim coach Cradock.
The DOJ conducted an extensive investigation into allegations that Cradock sexually harassed male swimmers and discriminated against female swimmers, and concluded that UMBC’s “failures allowed the former head coach to exploit his power over student-athletes, prey on student-athletes’ vulnerabilities and engage in egregious and ongoing abuse spanning many years.”
The DOJ initially opened an investigation into UMBC in November 2020 regarding its response to complaints of student sexual assault. It was during this investigation that the Department received allegations relating to Cradock, and it thus expanded the investigation.
Cradock was not named in the official press release, but was in the DOJ’s letter sent to UMBC notifying it of the violation.
Cradock died by suicide in March 2021 after resigning as UMBC’s head coach in December 2020. He served as the Retrievers’ head coach for 19 seasons dating back to 2001.
UMBC and the Maryland attorney general’s office are asking for approval of “up to” $4.14 million to settle claims brought by two groups of individuals that were identified during the investigation. The settlement with the victims is expected to be part of the school’s settlement with the Justice Department.
“If this settlement is approved, the Department of Justice will inform the individuals of the availability of the specific settlement payments to settle all claims against the University arising out of or related to sex discrimination,” the agenda for the April 3 meeting says. The settlement agreement is not yet public, but expected to become public in coming days.
On Monday afternoon, UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby publicly apologized to the students.
“It revealed not only dispicable actions by one individual, but profound failures in the university’s response during that period,” Ashby said of the investigation. “These students deserved better.”
“Let me be very clear: We take full responsibility for what happened and I am committed to addressing these failures through our words and actions,” Ashby said in the video.
Ashby became president in 2022, after Cradock’s resignation and death.
She encouraged community members to read the report, acknowledging that it was “difficult” but “important” to “start the process of healing and change the culture so that this never happens again.”
The torment that the UMBC swimmers had to endure was tragic, and the institution’s response was belittling and insufficient. Brave students stood up to report the abuse, and that was not enough for the administration to do the right thing. The abuse continued even after a federal lawsuit.
Not enough