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Head of Colorado Panel Wants Barnett Fired
A leader of an independent commission that investigated the Colorado football recruiting scandal said the panel was "stabbed in the back" and that coach Gary Barnett should be fired.
Joyce Lawrence, a former state legislator who was co-chairwoman of the panel, told The Pueblo Chieftain on Tuesday that Barnett and other athletic department officials never revealed the existence of a "slush fund" mentioned in a report by a grand jury that conducted a separate probe.
"We've been stabbed in the back. They knew what we wanted, but they didn't reveal that to us or to (university president Elizabeth Hoffman) at the time," Lawrence said.
"Yes, Coach Barnett needs to be replaced," she added. "The football and athletic staff knew the (independent commission) wanted to know about all the money that was going into the program and they never told us about those cash boxes."
Both the independent commission and the grand jury investigated the football program last year and concluded that some players had arranged sex, drugs and alcohol for visiting athletes who were being recruited for the team.
The commission, which was appointing by the university's governing Board of Regents, issued a report in May criticizing Hoffman and others for lax oversight but stopping short of calling for anyone to be fired.
On Monday, Hoffman announced she was stepping down effective June 30 or when a successor is named.
The grand jury wrapped up its work in August, indicting one low-level university employee on charges of soliciting a prostitute and misusing a school cell phone. It also submitted a report alleging, among other things, that thousands of dollars from Barnett's football camp went into a slush fund stashed in 16 or 17 cash boxes.
It said the money was made available to Barnett and other athletic department officials.
The report has not been officially released but was leaked to the media last week.
Barnett has said he could not comment on the report because of a judge's gag order.
Source: AP
Joyce Lawrence, a former state legislator who was co-chairwoman of the panel, told The Pueblo Chieftain on Tuesday that Barnett and other athletic department officials never revealed the existence of a "slush fund" mentioned in a report by a grand jury that conducted a separate probe.
"We've been stabbed in the back. They knew what we wanted, but they didn't reveal that to us or to (university president Elizabeth Hoffman) at the time," Lawrence said.
"Yes, Coach Barnett needs to be replaced," she added. "The football and athletic staff knew the (independent commission) wanted to know about all the money that was going into the program and they never told us about those cash boxes."
Both the independent commission and the grand jury investigated the football program last year and concluded that some players had arranged sex, drugs and alcohol for visiting athletes who were being recruited for the team.
The commission, which was appointing by the university's governing Board of Regents, issued a report in May criticizing Hoffman and others for lax oversight but stopping short of calling for anyone to be fired.
On Monday, Hoffman announced she was stepping down effective June 30 or when a successor is named.
The grand jury wrapped up its work in August, indicting one low-level university employee on charges of soliciting a prostitute and misusing a school cell phone. It also submitted a report alleging, among other things, that thousands of dollars from Barnett's football camp went into a slush fund stashed in 16 or 17 cash boxes.
It said the money was made available to Barnett and other athletic department officials.
The report has not been officially released but was leaked to the media last week.
Barnett has said he could not comment on the report because of a judge's gag order.
Source: AP