Auburn: Associate Softball Coach Was Banned For Romantic Relationships With Students

Former Auburn associate head softball coach Corey Myers—son of former head coach Clint Myers, who abruptly retired this summer—was banned from campus for having romantic relationships with multiple students whom he supervised or coached, according to a letter from the school’s Title IX office obtained by ESPN.

The younger Myers left the team in March, claiming that he wanted to focus on his family. He was informed in August via letter that he had been banned from the university, and his father retired from the head coaching gig just two days later. (The elder Myers similarly named a desire to spend more time with his family as the reason for his departure.)

Corey Myers was first investigated by the school nearly a year before he was banned, though the Title IX office at first “found insufficient evidence to conclude the policy was violated.” Ultimately, though, they found otherwise. The letter banning Myers from campus reads, in part:

“We have determined there is sufficient evidence ... to conclude that you violated the policy prohibiting ‘pursuing or engaging in romantic relationships’ with more than one student whom you supervised or taught while you were employed as associate head coach of the softball program... We have considered the nature of the violations, which we found to have occurred with more than one student and over an extended period, and have determined that the appropriate sanction is that you are not eligible for rehire by the university at any time. You are banned from campus property and may not attend any university events. Further, you are forbidden from attending any Auburn University softball-related activities or events, whether on- or off-campus.”

Despite the decision to ban Myers and the detail in the letter above, the university did not find evidence that the former coach had “created a hostile environment” for the team, as was alleged in a Title IX complaint filed by a former player.

The complaint, lodged by pitcher Alexa Nemeth in May, claims a pattern of sexual harassment that impacted the entire team. She implicates both the younger and elder Myerses, saying that the head coach “knowingly let his son Corey Myers have relations and pursue relations with multiple members of the team.”

The university did not side with Nemeth, however:

On Oct. 25, [Title IX Coordinator Kelley] Taylor informed Nemeth in a letter that the Title IX office’s investigation had produced a finding of “non-responsibility” for Corey Myers. It stated that there was sufficient evidence to “support a finding that unwanted sexual conduct occurred” with other members of the team but not enough evidence to show that Myers’ conduct “created a hostile environment for you.”

She is currently appealing the decision.

This is the second NCAA softball program from which Corey Myers has been banned, after Arizona State banned him for serving as a volunteer coach without proper clearance and for using the program to support personal business interests while his father was head coach there.

[ ESPN]