An investigation has concluded that former Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs had a "relationship" with gymnastics team coach Umme Salim-Beasley that violated university policy.
As reported by NorthJersey.com, the probe was conducted by Lowenstein Sandler LLP, which interviewed 62 witnesses, some of whom sat for more than one interview. Hobbs, who resigned in August, declined to be interviewed. Results of the four-month, $705,000 investigation were released in a 50-page report Frifday.
Hobbs quit his $1.1 million job Aug. 16 — "two days after he was informed by the school's outside counsel that the school would be investigating an allegation of a consensual relationship with Salim-Beasley," the report said.
According to NorthJersey.com's Chris Iseman, Hobbs had been attending competitions and practices more than in previous years, gymnasts who were interviewed said, and they reported unusual behavior including comments Hobbs and Salim-Beasley made toward each other at a tarot-card reading event.
Meanwhile, Salim-Beasley “lost control” of her program and at times “presided over a divided and dysfunctional organization,” the investigation concluded.
The school announced hours after the report was made public Friday that Salim-Beasley had been placed on paid administrative leave, Iseman reported.
Lowenstein's investigators in the report said the firm was hired by the school "following reports of a toxic environment in its gymnastics program...multiple student-athletes on the team made claims of bullying and favoritism by the coach and alleged that the coach did not properly address athlete injuries and mental health concerns. They contended (Hobbs) was similarly dismissive of their concerns."
Lowenstein interviewed Salim-Beasley for “more than five hours.” She “emphatically” refuted allegations that she was no supportive of the concerns of her athletes and said she worked to create a “positive environment.”
"Regarding Hobbs, the investigation learned that the former athletic director called Danielle Washington, who led the internal investigation into complaints levied by members of the gymnastics team, to discuss the complaints against Salim-Beasley," Iseman wrote. "Hobbs texted Washington in one instance that he believed Salim-Beasley “has really tried with this team” and forwarded to her a letter from one gymnast supporting the coach."
Salim-Beasley would not answer questions about a relationship with Hobbs, following advice of her counsel, Iseman reported.
Lowenstein gathered other evidence that determined “that there was a relationship between Hobbs and Salim-Beasley that required Hobbs, as Salim-Beasley’s supervisor, recuse himself from her supervision under university policy."
Besides learning from gymnasts about the Hobbs and Salim-Beasley interaction at a tarot-card reading event, "there were similar reactions to Hobbs accompanying the team on a trip to Nashville and participating with the team and the coaches in a yoga session, Iseman reported.
"Team members further described examples of Hobbs going out of his way to praise Salim-Beasley, including at a pizza party during which Hobbs made a toast in front of the team and reportedly spent most of it lauding her.”
Several gymnasts expressed to investigators that they felt Hobbs did not take their concerns about Salim-Beasley and the program seriously enough.
“The university president [Jonathan Holloway] stated in his interview with us that Hobbs never reported any such relationship to him as Hobbs’ supervisor,” the investigation wrote, as reported by NorthJersey.com, “nor did Hobbs effect any such recusal.”
