http://www.capwiz.com/now/issues/alert/?alertid=5144441&type=CU

Demand the Firing of Colorado Football Coach

Panel Investigating Rape Charges at University of Colorado Must
Include Sexual Assault Prevention Experts
Action Needed:

Charges of sexual harassment, rape and cover-ups against the
University of Colorado's football program have shed new light on big-
time campus athletics and the treatment of women by coaches and
players.
The National Organization for Women, along with Colorado State NOW
and Boulder NOW leaders, are calling for the dismissal of two men
who have shown complete disdain for the health and safety of the
students at the University of Colorado (CU). We also urge the
immediate reorganization of the panel convened to investigate the
allegations, including the addition of sexual assault prevention
experts and the removal of individuals who have demonstrated bias.

Join us in calling for:

1.) The full dismissal of the University of Colorado's football
coach Gary Barnett and Athletic Director Richard Tharp. Placing
Coach Barnett on paid leave does not address the severity of this
issue and leaving Director Tharp in his position is unacceptable.

2.) The appointment of sexual assault prevention experts to the
University of Colorado panel investigating athletic recruiting
scandals, and sexual harassment and rape allegations at the school.

3.) The removal of the co-chair of the panel, Joyce Lawrence, who
has been outspoken in her suggestions that the women victims weren't
tough enough or brought it on themselves. Lawrence refuses to step
down even though she has proved herself incapable of unbiased
assessment.

4.) The removal of Bishop Philip Porter from the panel because of
his close association with former Coach Bill McCartney, and because
of the revelation, after his appointment, of Porter's status as a co-
founder of Promise Keepers, which promotes the submission of women
to men.

Please use this link to send a message to the University of Colorado
president, the school's chancellor, and members of its board of
regents.

Background:

For years the CU football department has been charged with using
alcohol and promises of sex with women students in order to entice
new recruits to the team. This combination has resulted in at least
three alleged rapes at recruiting parties. Those responsible for
protecting these women and setting an example for the players have
looked the other way.

Football Coach Gary Barnett and Athletic Director Richard Tharp have
failed in their duties to CU. As women who reported victimization by
CU football players attempt to rebuild their lives, Barnett and
Tharp have continued to claim ignorance of the obvious problems
within their football program, and in recent days the ignorance has
turned into malicious victim-bashing.

Coach Barnett spoke to a crowd of local reporters on Feb. 17, about
Katie Hnida. Hnida, a place-kicker on CU's 1999 football team, came
forward in recent weeks to reveal that she was harassed and raped
while playing at CU. Barnett said, "It was obvious Katie was not
very good, she was awful, you know what guys do, they respect your
ability ... if you can go out and play they respect you. Well Katie
was a girl, not only was she a girl, she was terrible."

Following Coach Barnett's statement was another allegation of
misconduct made by a University of Colorado-Boulder Athletic
Department employee. The woman told authorities late Wednesday that
Barnett told her he would back his players 100 percent if she went
forward with an accusation of rape stemming from an incident with a
player in 2001.

On Feb. 18, CU-Boulder President Betsy Hoffman announced that
Barnett had been placed on paid administrative leave "mainly" over
concern for his "extremely inappropriate and insensitive" remarks
about Hnida. Hoffman also said that Barnett's comments in
2001 "utterly distressed" her and added, "That is a statement we are
very concerned about."

"Aside from insulting Katie Hnida and allegedly using intimidation
to protect his players, Barnett seems to be saying that bad players
deserve whatever they get--including assault. With statements like
this, are we to believe that Coach Barnett was completely unaware of
his players' actions?" asked NOW President Kim Gandy.

"Furthermore, Barnett's immediate 'blame the victim' response to
media inquiries only makes it more suspicious that there was
misconduct."

Barnett issued a statement saying, "I sincerely regret that
yesterday a portion of my remarks were either misinterpreted or
taken out of context, and I apologize for answering that question in
a manner where I must have come across as insensitive." NOW believes
this non-apology to be insufficient considering the serious
allegations of rape, and the cover-ups that followed--and
considering Barnett's obvious tendency to blame others for his
behavior.

"Coach Barnett insists that nothing inappropriate has gone on with
the CU football program, yet he is positive that this behavior
exists at other campuses. Is he so busy watching other football
programs that he doesn't know what's going on under his nose? I find
that hard to believe," said Regina Cowles, Boulder NOW President.

NOW urges Colorado activists as well as other concerned individuals
to contact University of Colorado officials who have the power to
dismiss those responsible for the cover-up and lack of enforcement
of the school's policies against discrimination, harassment and
sexual assault.