• Loading stock data...
Friday, October 31, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

DOJ Finds UMBC Failed to Protect Athletes From Sexual Assault for Years

  • UMBC violated Title IX, ignoring sexual assault allegations against its swimming and diving coach, per the DOJ.
  • The university knew about the allegations for about five years.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

On Monday, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice released a damning letter to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, finding the school violated Title IX from 2015 to ’20. Following an investigation that involved interviews with 70 people and the review of roughly 200,000 pages of documents, the DOJ found that former men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach Chad Cradock committed sexual assault and discrimination against his athletes, and that the university knew about the allegations for years but did not act to protect its students.

“UMBC takes full responsibility for the breakdown in Title IX enforcement,” says Kacey Hammel, the chief of staff to the UMBC president, in a statement to Front Office Sports. “We deeply regret the pain this caused for students who were directly impacted by the misconduct. The university is working to strengthen our Title IX policies and processes, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure the safety and well-being of all students.”

Allegations of misconduct and the university’s inadequate response have been public for years, but the DOJ’s affirmations that both happened, and insistence that the university commit to reforms, are new.

Per the DOJ, Cradock, who stopped coaching at UMBC in 2020 and died by suicide in ’21, committed “unwanted sexual touching” of male athletes and “sex discrimination” against female athletes, which included “degrading” comments about their bodies. He created a “hostile environment based on sex” that included “invasive questions” about athletes’ sexual relationships, the DOJ said. Cradock made “significant efforts” to secure mental-health services for male athletes, according to documentation uncovered by the DOJ investigation, but did “little, if anything” when made aware of multiple female athletes’ disordered eating and mental health needs.

“Going there felt like prison,” said one female athlete. 

The university’s failure to respond for the roughly five years it knew about the allegations “enabled” his behavior to continue, the DOJ said.

School president Valerie Sheares Ashby, who was not at UMBC when the sexual assaults and misconduct took place, said in a letter to the community that an agreement with the DOJ is forthcoming that will outline changes for how the university responds to reports of wrongdoing. Sheares Ashby also detailed ways the university has already acted to amend its processes. She cited a new role she created in 2022 around equity and diversity as well as the Title IX work that person has done, including providing trainings to students, faculty, and staff; updating policies; and building a team to further improve the school’s ability to respond to complaints. 

The DOJ outlined in its letter that it acknowledges the school’s “commitment to provide financial relief to certain student-athletes, subject to its state-mandated approval process.” Neither the DOJ nor UMBC addressed FOS questions about what those payments might look like.

“As UMBC has acknowledged, the University is working cooperatively with the Department toward a resolution. Details of that resolution will be announced when it is final,” read a DOJ statement to FOS.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 13, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Susanna Sullivan of the United States of America finishes seventh in the Chicago Marathon at Grant Park

More Races, More Money: The New Calculus for Pro Marathoners

More races per year mean more money—but the math isn’t simple.

LSU Officials Vow Stability: ‘Not Broken’ With Coach and AD Gone

Officials announced a search committee and tried to correct the record.
Dec 10, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) talks with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

CBS Bets Big on Chiefs-Bills Rivalry As AFC Landscape Changes

Big viewership likely awaits the revival of the NFL rivalry.

Featured Today

Oct 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) pitches during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium.

Shohei Ohtani Card Market Is Surging—With No Signs of Slowing

Cards have spiked hundreds of thousands of dollars from their initial value.
September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium
October 26, 2025

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

TNT Sports is going all-in on college athletics—bringing fans closer and giving brands a powerful new way to connect.
Florida Gators linebacker Shemar James (6) tackles Georgia Bulldogs tight end Oscar Delp (4) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football matchup Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Florida Gators 34-20.
October 30, 2025

Florida-Georgia Rivalry Hits the Road—Still Nets Almost $10M Payouts

The annual rivalry game in Jacksonville is taking a two-year road trip.
Sep 6, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly looks on against Louisiana Tech Bulldogs during the second half at Tiger Stadium.
October 30, 2025

The Governor Who Inserted Himself Into a College Football Coaching Search

The governor said he was concerned taxpayers would be left paying Kelly’s buyout.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

On Location is redefining the Olympic experience by creating lasting connections beyond the Games.
Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) takes hits from UCLA Bruins linebacker Jalen Woods (9) and defensive back Rodrick Pleasant (18) during the fourth quarter at Rose Bowl.
October 30, 2025

Rose Bowl Lawsuit Claims UCLA Tried to Move Games to SoFi Stadium

UCLA has called the Rose Bowl home since the early 1980s.
Harold Perkins Jr interception as LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. October 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.
October 29, 2025

Louisiana Governor Says LSU Athletic Director Will Not Choose Next Football Coach

Jeff Landry has little confidence in Scott Woodward.
Sankey
October 28, 2025

SEC’s Sankey Blasts NCAA Plan to Allow Pro Sports Betting

NCAA athletes can bet on professional sports starting Nov. 1.
October 28, 2025

SEC Coaches Kiffin, Smart Question LSU’s Firing of Kelly: ‘Ridiculous’ 

Three SEC teams have fired their football coaches midseason.