CU reviewing allegations vs. Barnett
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- Colorado has asked school attorneys to review an unsigned letter that makes allegations of improper conduct against embattled football coach Gary Barnett, a university spokeswoman said Thursday.
Some of the allegations in the letter, which was first reported by the Rocky Mountain News, have already been investigated, spokeswoman Michelle McKinney said. She said the attorneys are trying to determine whether any of them warrant further investigation.
"It is an anonymous letter, so there is some caution on how you approach this," McKinney said. "Several investigations the university has been subjected to have looked at these allegations. If there are any allegations that our legal counsel believe were not full investigated, we do intend to thoroughly look into them."
The letter alleges, among other things, that Barnett attempted to influence sworn testimony by his subordinates during the football program's recent recruiting scandal and that football players were tipped off in advance of supposedly random drug tests, the newspaper said.
Barnett did not immediately return a telephone message Thursday. The Colorado athletics department had no comment, spokesman Dave Plati said.
The letter was disclosed amid speculation that Barnett will soon lose his job because his team lost three straight games by a combined score of 130-22. Barnett survived the recruiting scandal last year, although the university's president, chancellor and athletic director resigned in its aftermath. Two investigations looked into allegations of misbehavior, including rape, but the only criminal charge involved the misuse of a university-issued cell phone by an aide. Investigators also said sex, drugs and alcohol were available for recruits, though no school official knowingly condoned it.
Steven Snyder, a private investigator who worked for a regents-backed independent commission that looked into the scandal, told the News he received the anonymous letter in October and turned it over to CU President Hank Brown.
Snyder said his work for the commission ended in mid-2004 but he continues to receive tips about the university. He said he did not act on most them because he did not consider them serious, but he thought university officials should see the unsigned letter.
Brown told the News he also gave copies of the letter to state and federal prosecutors. McKinney said she could not confirm that. Spokesmen for the prosecutors declined to comment.
The Denver Post reported this week that a source close to the negotiations between Barnett and the university "indicated" the coach will not be given a contract extension.
The Post did not identify the source. Barnett declined to comment on the report, and athletic director Mike Bohn would not say whether it was true.
Brown told the News he did not think the unsigned letter would affect Barnett's contract.
The university regents declined to comment about Barnett after a 31/2-hour executive session Thursday.
"I think that's still in the hands of the chancellor and the athletic director," Brown said.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/football/ncaa/12/08/bc.fbc.colorado.barnett.ap/