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U of I President: Hiring changes coming at Iowa in wake of Peter Gray investigation

University of Iowa

Diane Heldt, CR Gazette –

The University of Iowa will conduct a detailed review of all hiring processes, launch an internal audit of student-athlete advising services and implement additional sexual harassment training for all employees in advising services, UI President Sally Mason announced Friday.

Those are among the changes the university will implement in the wake of an investigation of Peter Gray, a former Athletics Department adviser who resigned last week amid allegations of sexual harassment.

The university takes very seriously any allegations of sexual harassment and as a result “will implement a series of changes intended to positively impact student-athlete advising and compliance in the department of athletics moving forward,” Mason said in the statement.

“Our ultimate role as a university is to protect our students, faculty, and staff,” she said. “The University of Iowa owes an apology to everyone affected by this avoidable incident. We cannot afford to allow even an isolated breakdown in our system to compromise that fundamental commitment.”

Mason said she has completed her extensive inquiry into this situation and is “confident we have developed remedies addressing the breakdowns that occurred.”

Gray, who was associate director of athletic student services, resigned last week. He had held the position since 2002, and also worked for the UI from 1993 to 1995. An internal UI document leaked last week to the Iowa City Press-Citizen detailed the UI investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against Gray.

UI officials said the following changes will be effective immediately:

The university will conduct a detailed review of all hiring processes, starting with the department of athletics, to ensure units are being compliant with accepted practices for the vetting and hiring of job applicants;

The university will launch an internal audit that will be charged with closely examining processes in the areas of student-athlete advising services and compliance;

Supervision for student-athlete advising services in the department of athletics will report to the provost and athletic director for at least two years;

Supervision of the compliance operations in the department of athletics will report to the general counsel and athletic director for at least two years;

All individuals in advising service and compliance operations will be required to take additional sexual harassment training. Such training is mandated for all UI employees.

The university will not publicly discuss the disciplinary actions that pertain to the specific employees involved in this case, officials said in the statement.

In a statement, Board of Regents leaders commended Mason for initiating an internal investigation of compliance in response to recent concerns regarding the hiring of Gray. The board thanking Mason for her leadership and readiness to investigate “critical compliance issues,” the statement said.

“The Board has full confidence in President Mason to conduct a thorough investigation,” Regents President Craig Lang said in the statement. “Her deep concern for the safety of students, faculty and staff, and her solid determination to identify answers and address the specific findings of this case will lead the University to the necessary conclusions.”

The board looks forward to a report of the findings from Mason’s investigation, Lang said.

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