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WALLY HALL: Baylor should put focus on assisting victims

When the rumblings began early last week that Baylor University President Ken Starr was to be fired and head football coach Art Briles would not be, it was a bit troubling.

By Thursday, the ship started to right itself.

Amid more allegations of sexual assault by members of the football team, Starr was stripped of his power as president but allowed to stay on as chancellor and as a law school professor. Briles' bright, shining star was totally tarnished, maybe forever. He was fired.

The Pepper Hamilton report, the result of an external investigation, took several months and, while not specific about names, it was detailed enough to let the world know a great university completely failed some of its female students.

Women were violated physically, mentally and emotionally.

If they sue -- and some most likely will -- there will not be enough money to right the wrong that happened to them.

There is never a just reason for a man to hit a woman or force them to have sex.

NEVER.

And for it to happen at Baylor, an outstanding academic institution with a staunch Baptist doctrine, made what happened even more disgusting and disappointing.

Unfortunately, it wasn't too surprising.

Since 2014, two members of the Bears football team had been convicted of sexual assault. Neither should have happened, but the second one is a travesty that falls squarely on the shoulders of Briles and his coaching staff.

Sam Ukwuachu transferred from Boise State, leaving behind a list of wrongs strong enough for him to be dismissed from that team.

Ukwuachu was a freshman All-American at defensive end. His head coach at Boise State, Chris Petersen, said he called Briles with a warning.

Briles denies receiving that call.

Ukwuachu never officially joined the team because shortly after arriving on campus he was accused of assaulting a freshman soccer player at the university. He was sentenced to six months in the county jail and 10 years' probation.

Briles hasn't denied knowledge of that, and it is a strong indication that winning football games took precedent at a school where spiritual and academic growth once was more important to its reputation.

Briles is finished in football, at least he should be. Despite successful stints in high school and college (Houston and Baylor), he should never be entrusted with leading young men again.

The report states football staff members intervened with women who reported players committed sexual assaults, and one was harassed by the staff member who interviewed her.

That staff members "investigated" is unethical and unacceptable.

Baylor will bounce back, at least its image will. Most have forgotten that in 2003 a Baylor basketball player murdered a teammate.

Actually, getting the football program back to being a national contender shouldn't even by on Baylor's radar.

Helping those victims who were deeply wounded, maybe for life, should be the No. 1 priority, and No. 2 is making sure it never, ever happens again.

Those women turned for help and were rejected.

They were left alone, isolated to deal with the pain, emptiness and humiliation of being victimized.

It was so bad that apparently even the local police helped cover up the situation by hiding the reports in a file that was hidden from most.

The cover-up helped create an environment that wasn't safe for women on the Baylor campus. If the first assault had been investigated properly and made public, there may not have been a second assault.

No game should ever come at the cost of someone's mental and physical health.

Shame on Briles and shame on all who took part in the cover-up.

Sports on 05/29/2016

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