Baylor's Board of Regents has made significant moves at the top of its university's administration following results of a Pepper Hamilton investigation into numerous sexual and physical assault allegations involving the program's football players.
Namely, a release from the school announced that president Ken Starr has been reassigned into to the role of chancellor and and will remain a professor at the university's law school. Athletic director Ian McCaw has been sanctioned and placed on probation. As outlined previously, head football coach Art Briles has been suspended with intent to terminate.
Starr's new position is effective May 31. The terms of his deal as chancellor are "still being discussed." David Garland will serve as the university's interim president.
Thursday afternoon, Starr released the following statement:
This is from Baylor's Kenneth Starr pic.twitter.com/PpS4VJtmcc
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) May 26, 2016
Baylor's release also states that "McCaw will work with University leadership and the Board of Regents to implement the recommendations as they relate to the restoration of a tone of accountability within the football program, to effective oversight and controls of the Athletics department, and to critically needed changes that will re-align the Athletics program with the University mission."
Other, unnamed members of the university's administration and athletics program have been dismissed as well.
Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett is expected to serve as interim coach with Briles' son, offensive coordinator Kendall Briles, remaining on staff, according to multiple reports.
The moves come after Hamilton gave Baylor a "detailed, thorough and rigorous" report noting a "fundamental failure by Baylor to implement Title IX" as well as a "lack of strong institutional management and control on a number of levels."
"We, as the governing Board of this University, offer our apologies to the many who sought help from the University. We are deeply sorry for the harm that survivors have endured," said Ron Murff, chair-elect of the Baylor Board of Regents, in a statement.
"Baylor's mission to educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community remains our primary imperative. The Board has taken decisive action to ensure the University's priorities are aligned with our unyielding commitment to that mission."
Baylor's 13-page Findings of Fact report outlines Hamilton's conclusions. Among other things, Baylor claims "actions by University administrators directly discouraged some complainants from reporting or participating in student conduct processes and in one instance constituted retaliation against a complainant for reporting sexual assault."
Baylor has also established an Executive-Level Task Force on Implementation, which will act on Hamilton's recommendations with best practices in mind.
