The coach has been put on paid administrative leave during the investigations. I'm not sure how happy I am that he's still being paid, considering his supposed remarks about Hnda and with a fifth woman came forward yesterday saying she was raped at the football recruiting party.
CU coach placed on leave for saying Hnida 'awful'
Thursday, February 19, 2004 Posted: 5:09 AM EST (1009 GMT)
BOULDER, Colorado (CNN) -- University of Colorado football coach Gary Barnett was placed on paid administrative leave because of his disparaging remarks about the university's only female placekicker, who has accused a teammate of rape, CU President Elizabeth Hoffman announced late Wednesday.
"In the context of a rape allegations, it is inappropriate to make statements about the ability of the player," Hoffman said.
Barnett had called Katie Hnida an "awful" player.
Hnida, a CU placekicker in 1999, told Sports Illustrated this week that she was raped by a teammate and that she was verbally abused, harassed and molested by her fellow players.
At a news conference shortly after Hoffman announced the university's decision to place Barnett on leave, the coach read a prepared statement in which he accepted the reprimand -- noting that he did not agree with it -- and accused the media of taking his comments out of context.
"I sincerely regret that yesterday, a portion of my remarks were either misinterpreted or taken, aired out of context," he said. "And I apologize for answering that question in a manner where I must have come across as insensitive.
"What I wanted to communicate, was that regardless of Katie Hnida's abilities, I wanted Katie on our football team, I wanted to give her a chance to be a part of our program. I want to reaffirm my feelings, remarks that I made yesterday: I am very sensitive to Katie's allegations, I want to do whatever I can to help Katie."
Barnett will be on leave until the outcome of a police and internal investigation into allegations that the CU football team uses sex parties to recruit athletes and that the athletic department might have ties to an escort service.
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Hybrid Mode
