Eric Sexton statement on WSU women's basketball team
We take student welfare very seriously and I am deeply concerned by the reports this week that members of the women's basketball team felt demeaned, rather than motivated, by the coaching they received.
The independent inquiry by faculty athletics representative professor Julie Scherz is entirely appropriate and the Athletics staff is committed to learning from this experience and doing right by students. When the process is completed, decisions will be made to help move the women's basketball program forward.
I feel badly that there is a perception among players that their complaints weren't heard and acted upon. Their complaints were taken seriously.
During the 2012-13 season, we had a very public situation that we addressed swiftly by reprimanding the women's basketball staff and letting players and the public know that coaches had acted improperly.
That was followed by staff changes and close monitoring by Senior Associate Athletic Director Becky Endicott and me. We saw progress both off and on the court. I understand that not all of the corrective measures we took may have been seen by players and the public, but steps were taken and the situation appeared to improve.
Now it appears there were issues under the surface that we didn't know. As soon as we were made aware of them, we took them seriously and started the process to gather further facts. I hope those who love Shocker athletics will be patient with us while we work through this difficult process.
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