UConn Football Player Accused of Rape, Former Head Coach Denies Allegations He Knew
ByOne of the four women who filed a lawsuit against the University of Connecticut (UConn) last week said she was sexually assaulted by a football player and now there are questions as to whether the coach knew about the allegations.
The Associated Press reported former UConn Huskies head football coach Paul Pasqualoni said he was never told one of his players was accused of rape in Sept. 2011. UConn's police chief said she does not believe the ex-coach's claim.
"The detective advised Mr. Pasqualoni a state's attorney from the Judicial District of Tolland had reviewed the investigation and determined there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the case," UConn Police Chief Barbara O'Connor told the AP.
Pasqualoni, who was fired earlier this season when the team started out 0-4, said he was never mad aware of such allegations.
"I was not ever informed," he said. "I was never made aware of anything. We never had those issues when I was there."
Rosemary Richi, a junior at UConn, filed the complaint that a member of the football team raped her in Sept. 2011. She made the complaint earlier this year with a group of other UConn women who claim to have been sexually assaulted on campus who have made similar claims. Pasqualoni was still the head coach at that time, as well as at the time of the alleged incident.
Of those women who filed a complaint with the U.S. Education Department's Office of Civil Rights, four filed a lawsuit against the school for not adequately adjudicating their claims of sexual assault.
Both the school and Pasqualoni said the athletic department is notified when a student-athlete is in legal trouble, or even with the Office of Community Standards.
"Absolutely they did," he said. "And there was no hesitation about it either."
According to her lawsuit, the player would not let Rich, a freshman at the time, leave his dorm room after the two had drinks together when he forced her onto his bed and raped her. She said her assailant told her not to tell anyone in person and via text message.
"I didn't feel comfortable telling anyone or reporting because of the overwhelming privilege of athletes on this campus," she said during an October news conference announcing the civil rights complaint.
Present at that conference and representing the girls in the lawsuit, was civil rights attorney Gloria Allred.
"UConn's response or lack of response under these circumstances raises the question of whether or not athletes receive special treatment," she said in a statement. "It makes some victims wonder if athletes are afforded more rights than rape victims, because athletes may be considered to be of more value to a university than the female students that they victimize."