What has been happening at Auburn?

Well whatever has been happening, it has been happening for a few years. But news of problems within Auburn University's softball program only emerged a couple of weeks ago when a former player filed a Title IX complaint alleging that an associate coach was sexually harassing and having sexual relationships with players. But the investigation into associate head coach Corey Myers's actions by the school began in a year ago spurred by anonymous ethics complaints.

Yet Myers did not leave the program until March (he took a 2-week leave of absence when the investigation began*) when he resigned citing the need to be with his family. He is the son of head coach Clint Myers who, not coincidentally, announced his retirement right before news broke of the Title IX complaint and who also said it was due to the desire to spend time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. The elder Myers is a highly regarded figure in intercollegiate softball having coached the very successful (in terms of wins) Arizona State Sun Devils before going to Auburn in 2014. He has also worked with USA Softball.

What has been published about the harassment and conduct of the younger Myers and how it was handled by Auburn suggests a cover up. The timing of the elder Myers's retirement announcement supports that hypothesis. Also, the athletics director said in late April 2017 that he had no knowledge of an investigation. And when Clint Myers told the press in early April that he would welcome his son back to the program and a reporter asked about a Title IX investigation he seemed offended that such a thing was even brought up.

The player who filed the Title IX complaint (which included allegations of both the abuse and the cover up) was a redshirt player who was cut following the end of the 2017 season. This scenario often leads to a sour grapes defense. However, the complainant's story has been corroborated by others you played under Myers and Myers. One player, who transferred to another school, showed the media suggestive text messages sent by the younger Myers to another Auburn player (she took pics of the texts). When these texts were brought to the administration as evidence, a member of the athletic department told those seeking redress that they could be arrested for sharing those messages. So it seems the athletics department was engaging in intimidation and cover up based on this version of events. Other former players have also come forward with stories of illegal behavior and attempts to get the school to address it. 

It is clear that the situation created tension within the team. The player who was receiving the texts did not implicate Corey Meyers during the Fall 2016 investigation. This caused division among the team even into spring 2017. An incident involving an Auburn player in an altercation with University of Florida head coach Tim Walton during the post-game high-five line now has some context. She and other members did not want to ride the bus with the uncooperative player. In other words, this situation and the way the staff and the administration dealt with it caused problems within the team. To an outsider it looked like a fairly successful season with a loss to a good team.

No word on whether or when OCR will investigate.



* according to one player, team members were encouraged to go to the administration during this time and advocated for Corey Myers's return.