The Baylor football program has been under national scrutiny for nearly a year, since allegations of the program covering up sexual violence surfaced. Former head football coach Art Briles, who was fired in May 2016, has been at the center of the investigation.
After months of silence, Briles released a one-page letter Thursday and said he did not cover up sexual violence by his players.
"I did not cover-up any sexual violence,” Briles wrote. “I had no contact with anyone that claimed to be a victim of sexual or domestic assault. Anyone well-versed in my work as a coach knows that I strove to promote excellence, but never at the sacrifice of safety for anyone. I did not obstruct justice on campus or off.''
The Texas Rangers—Texas’ elite criminal investigations unit, not the baseball team—announced Wednesday that it had begun investigating how Baylor handled assault reports over several years.
Briles says when he was alerted to an assault incident, his instruction was that the victims were to go to the police.
Briles is suing four school officials for libel and slander.
"(R)umor, innuendo and out of context messages, emails and comments have no place in a true fact-finding mission,'' Briles wrote. "The key to growth for the school begins with full transparency, not selective messaging.''
Baylor faces lawsuits from several women who claim the school ignored or mishandled their claims of assault.
One investigation found at least 17 women who reported being sexually assaulted by 19 football players.
