By Taylor Griffin, Editor-in-Chief
President and Chancellor Ken Starr recommended the university Board of Regents retain outside counsel during the investigation of sexual violence on campus, via a statement Friday evening.
Starr also announced a new director position within the Division of Athletics to oversee all student-athlete behavior.
“This officer-level position will report directly to the President and ensure our student-athletes maintain the high level of personal ethics and integrity that Baylor Nation demands,” Starr wrote. “I will work directly with the Board of Regents to formulate the specific responsibilities of this position.”
The statement follows the recent conviction of Sam Ukwuachu, a former Baylor football defensive end and 2015 graduate who was found guilty on Aug. 20 in Waco’s 54th State District Court on two counts of sexual assault.
After the results of an internal inquiry with the guidance of Jeremy Counseller, professor of law and faculty athletics representative, Starr reasserted the university’s pledge to safety and zero-tolerance policy for sexual violence.
“Baylor University is committed to maintaining the highest degree of campus safety to protect the welfare of all our students,” he wrote. “This is central to Baylor’s mission as a Christian university and at the heart of our commitment to our students, faculty and staff.”
The Board will select its outside counsel early next week.
Read below for the full statement:
Dear Baylor Nation:
We must guarantee there is no room at Baylor University for those who would perpetrate sexual violence on our campus. I want to thank Jeremy Counseller, Professor of Law and Faculty Athletics Representative, for his judgment and guidance. After reviewing the results of his internal inquiry, I am recommending that our Board of Regents retain the services of outside counsel to investigate thoroughly these matters and recommend continued improvements. The Board plans to announce its selection of outside counsel early next week.
In addition, I am creating a unique position, housed in the Division of Athletics, that has the authority and oversight of all student-athlete behavior. This officer-level position will report directly to the President and ensure our student-athletes maintain the high level of personal ethics and integrity that Baylor Nation demands. I will work directly with the Board of Regents to formulate the specific responsibilities of this position.
Baylor University is committed to maintaining the highest degree of campus safety to protect the welfare of all our students. This is central to Baylor’s mission as a Christian university and at the heart of our commitment to our students, faculty and staff. We must have zero tolerance for sexual violence on our athletic teams and our campus.
Yours sincerely,
Ken Starr
President and Chancellor
