INDIANAPOLIS — Mark Emmert is taking a look at what the NCAA can do to help prevent violence against women.
Two representatives from the National Coalition Against Violent Athletes said they spent nearly 90 minutes meeting with the NCAA’s new president Wednesday, imploring him to send a strong message to the nation’s college athletes that violent acts would not be tolerated.
“I’m encouraged by it,” Kathy Redmond, president and founder of the group, said after the meeting. “I told him we would be in contact and we would love to help him build a program around this topic.”
The group has already sent a formal proposal to the NCAA’s executive committee. It calls on the NCAA to take disciplinary action against student-athletes who have engaged in inappropriate conduct such as rape, sexual assault, domestic violence or sexual harassment.
Redmond and Wendy Murphy don’t necessarily want Emmert to add more rules to the already hefty NCAA rulebook.
Rather, they contend the governing body has a moral obligation to provide leadership on the issue and would like to see the NCAA, at least, adopt a written policy establishing guidelines, corrective actions and potential sanctions for schools and individuals that violate the guidelines.
One potential sanction could be the loss of membership.
