Michigan State thinks Mark Dantonio will solve its sexual misconduct problems
In February 2020, Mark Dantonio — by far essentially the most profitable soccer coach in Michigan State’s historical past — retired. The stress of managing 120 student-athletes yearly wore on him, Dantonio mentioned. He needed to make his life simpler, so he was stepping away from soccer and East Lansing.
More durable to disregard, although, had been the studies that Dantonio had been dismissive of sexual misconduct allegations made towards his gamers. An Exterior the Strains investigation mere days earlier than Dantonio’s retirement announcement reported that Dantonio has been lower than diligent in dealing with allegations of sexual assault towards his gamers, together with making bewildering feedback to the media about his historical past of dealing with such claims:
Since Dantonio’s tenure started in 2007, at the least 16 MSU soccer gamers have been accused of sexual assault or violence towards girls, in accordance with interviews and public data obtained by Exterior the Strains. Much more, Dantonio was mentioned to be concerned in dealing with the self-discipline in at the least one of many instances a number of years in the past. As just lately as June, Dantonio confronted a crowd of reporters who had been asking questions on 4 of his soccer gamers who had been accused of sexual assault. Six questions in, a reporter requested Dantonio how he had dealt with such allegations beforehand.
“That is new floor for us,” Dantonio answered. “We’ve been right here 11 years — it has not occurred beforehand.”
Worse, Dantonio’s dealing with of assault allegations towards his gamers appeared to proof somebody with little to no understanding of the dynamics of sexual assault. OTL reported that, in a single case the place an MSU soccer participant was accused of sexual assault, Dantonio had the participant speak to his mom about what he had finished.
It’s unimaginable to learn Dantonio’s determination to retire as totally divorced from the scrutiny MSU was going by way of on the time, largely because of the administration’s dealing with of the Larry Nassar scandal. The truth is, a bit over every week earlier than he introduced his retirement, Dantonio decried the OTL report, saying that any studies that he had dealt with complaints of sexual assault individually had been false that he wouldn’t be stepping down. What occurred throughout that assertion and Dantonio’s determination to retire simply over every week later? It’s unimaginable to say, but it surely’s notable that media protection of MSU’s dealing with of sexual misconduct allegations — and by extension, Dantonio’s — continued to ramp up throughout that point.
How then, is a coach who retired within the midst of a report about his alleged mishandling of sexual assault allegations the particular person MSU chooses to carry again within the wake of the suspension of head soccer coach Mel Tucker, following allegations of his sexual harassment? Late yesterday, following a USA In the present day report that Tucker had harassed sexual assault prevention advocate Brenda Tracy, MSU Athletic Director Alan Haller introduced that Tucker can be suspended with out pay, secondary coach Harlon Barnett can be the workforce’s interim coach, and Dantonio would function a particular assistant.
When you had any doubt as as to if or not MSU “will get it” with regards to the right dealing with of Title IX complaints or transparency as a state establishment, they don’t. Although Tracy filed her Title IX grievance towards Tucker in December, the varsity took no identifiable motion towards Tucker till USA In the present day blew the lid off the story Saturday night. The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach reported that Haller instructed the media that “interim measures” had been in place, however these “interim measures” gave the impression to be restricted to Tucker not having contact with Tracy and Haller having “elevated oversight of this system.” However except MSU directors had been monitoring Tucker 24 hours a day, together with whereas he was away from the college and his digital communications, it’s onerous to ascertain how any of that quantities to a enough response. The choice that the reply to yet one more public sexual misconduct scandal at MSU is extra Mark Dantonio is additional proof that nobody at MSU has any concept what they’re doing with regards to dealing with Title IX complaints.
Deadspin reached out to Michigan State Athletics and AD Alan Haller for remark. On the time of publication, we had not obtained a response.
MSU soccer followers will little doubt cheer Dantonio’s return to soccer at East Lansing, the place he’s nonetheless a beloved determine. However for many who are involved about sexual violence towards girls and the college’s repeated failures in dealing with it, Dantonio’s return appears to mark an administration that retains moving into circles.
