CU's Hoffman Responds To Leaked Grand Jury Allegations
Grand Jury Report: Female Athletic Trainers Say They Were Sexually Assaulted By Coach
UPDATED: 10:37 pm MST March 1, 2005
DENVER -- The University of Colorado issued a detailed response Tuesday night to a leaked grand jury report on football recruiting practices at the university.According to the report leaked to the media Monday, investigators uncovered a "slush fund" financed by coach Gary Barnett's football camp. Money was kept in "16 or 17" cash boxes, each managed by a different person with little oversight, according to the grand jury's findings, which were first reported by The Denver Post in Tuesday's editions.
A source who has seen the grand jury report confirmed the contents to The Associated Press on Tuesday. The source spoke on condition of anonymity.Late Tuesday night, Universtity of Colorado Betsy Hoffman responded to the leaked report."The release completely undermines the grand jury process in that the University’s response is not also released, and we are limited by Judge Bayless in our ability to respond to specific allegations," Hoffman said in the written response. "The release (of the grand jury report) completely undermines the grand jury process in that the University’s response is not also released, and we are limited by Judge Bayless in our ability to respond to specific allegations."Hoffman outlined a 17-point "action plan" to address issues raised by the grand jury, as part of her response. Click Here to read Hoffman's unedited response in its entirety. According to the leaked report, the grand jury heard testimony that two female athletic trainers were sexually assaulted by an assistant coach and one was "coerced to perform sexual favors for players and recruits repeatedly over a two-year period." It was not immediately clear whether the women testified directly to the grand jury. The grand jury, which finished meeting Aug. 19, handed up a single indictment accusing former football recruiting aide Nathan Maxcey of soliciting a prostitute for himself and misusing a school-issued cell phone. Maxcey has not entered a plea. It was not clear why the panel did not issue more indictments. In a statement issued Monday night, Barnett said he could not comment because of grand jury secrecy rules. District Judge Jeff Bayless previously ruled that the grand jury report should remain secret. The state attorney general's office is appealing the decision and wants the report made public. The report concurred with an independent commission's finding last year that players used sex, alcohol and marijuana as recruiting tools without the football staff encouraging or sanctioning it. Grand jurors added that officials' denial of knowledge about the practices "demonstrates either conscious disregard of these circumstances or a lack of oversight of recruiting practices." The report said CU director of football operations David Hansburg "told the grand jury that up to $2,500 could be missing, but not missed" from the cash boxes. "All funds were available to employees of the football program" and "all funds were available to coach Barnett to use in his discretion." Barnett told the grand jury that "the school received only income from the registration fees of (football camp) participants," according to the report. Hansburg declined comment. The report said Barnett and Hansburg gave conflicting explanations of the team's finances. It said the school, Barnett's football camp and the University of Colorado Foundation, the university's independent fund-raising arm, failed to provide all documents requested. Foundation President Michael Byram said in a statement the report "confirms that the University of Colorado Foundation is innocent of any improper actions or wrongdoing." He said he could not comment further.
Copyright 2005 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.




