UI officials plan quick response to federal investigation

AMES - University of Iowa officials plan to quickly respond and cooperate with federal officials who are investigating the athletics departments on allegations of sexual discrimination.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced in a letter it will review gender bias claims leveled by four female field hockey players last October. They accuse the university of failing to investigate Athletics Director Gary Barta for discrimination. Barta fired longtime field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum Aug. 4.

'We respect the role of the Office of Civil Rights in these issues, their jurisdiction over it,” UI Provost P. Barry Butler said. 'We're going to fully cooperate with any requests that we get from them. As their letter indicated, the investigation in no way implies on their part that they've determined any outcomes. This is the initiating of the process.”

UI President Sally Mason, who is retiring this summer, did not attend the Regents meeting.

Iowa officials are required to provide the OCR with copies and notes of the investigation that led to Griesbaum's dismissal - along with other documents - in 15 days. The letter's timeline created confusion for university officials. It was dated May 22 and postmarked May 26 after a holiday weekend. University officials received the letter on Tuesday.

The investigation does not imply a determination, according to the complaint.

'The university is responding, and it has not been proven that the complaint is accurate,” Regents President Bruce Rastetter said. 'So we'll wait for all the information to come together before we make a judgment on that. I think the university has responded in quick fashion to the complaint and will.”

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