Ex-Baylor Official Says She was Told to not Put Anything in Writing

WACO, Texas ― The former Title IX coordinator at Baylor University says that a top school official told her to never put anything in writing after she sent him a 16-page memo detailing her concerns that her authority and support were still being compromised even as the university had indicated it was trying to make changes in the wake of a series of sexual assault claims.

Patty Crawford told “60 Minutes Sports on Showtime” that Reagan Ramsower, the university’s senior vice president for operations and chief financial officer, yelled at her in July after she wrote the memo. The segment aired Tuesday evening.

“He was not happy. And ― I was shocked. I was yelled at. I was told, ‘Don’t ever put anything in writing to me again. You talk to me in person. You call me on the phone. But don’t put anything in writing,’” she said.

Ramsower told the television program that Crawford’s claim was a “complete fabrication.”

Ramsower said he had 12 meetings with Crawford in the five weeks prior to when the memo was sent and that she had not raised any of her concerns to him.

David Garland, Baylor’s interim president, told “60 Minutes Sports on Showtime” that he found Crawford’s accusations that Ramsower was impeding her efforts “to be untrue and also unfair. … We have spared no expense in trying to address these issues.”

As Title IX coordinator, Crawford was charged with enforcing federal standards meant to prevent discrimination based on gender. Her job also included investigating the sexual assault claims.

An outside investigation of the Baylor University sexual violence scandal found 17 women who had reported sexual or domestic assaults involving 19 Baylor University athletes since 2011. Those included four reports of gang rapes.

The investigation by the Pepper Hamilton law firm in Philadelphia found some players were alleged to have participated in a series of assaults over several years.

Baylor has previously said the review found that the football program operated as if it were above the rules.

Coach Art Briles was fired earlier this year, as was the athletic director. President Ken Starr was removed from his post by regents and he later resigned as chancellor.

Crawford also told “60 Minutes Sports on Showtime” that she was denied access to police reports about various complaints that women had filed alleging sexual assault and abuse.

She said that when she tried to get Waco police reports she received an email from a university vice president telling her that police “do not want the actual police reports turned over to Title IX.” Crawford said she could be apprised of what was in the reports but that the reports were off-limits.

Ramsower said one of the reports by university police about an alleged gang rape in 2013 involving two football players stayed with the police department.

“That was ― that was a significant failure to respond by our police department. There’s no doubt about it,” he said.

Ramsower said the individuals within the police department who failed to notify him about these reports of sexual assaults are no longer employed by Baylor.

Garland apologized for how victims were treated.

“I am so sorry that we did not treat them right. And we will not … let this happen again,” he said.