* Editor’s note: This story contains graphic sexual details.

The #MeToo movement has empowered a UC Davis administrator to accuse a UCD emeritus music professor of sexual assault and rape, stemming from incidents that took place approximately 30 years ago.

Danny Gray, 50, who is the director of academic employment and labor relations in the UCD Office of Academic Affairs, has drafted a lengthy statement naming D. Kern Holoman, 70, as his attacker when Gray was an undergraduate student at UCD in the late 1980s.

In the statement, which can be read at https://dannygray0.wixsite.com/metooucdavis, Gray alleges that Holoman befriended him after Gray, then 19, joined the university symphony. Gray, who was born in Modesto, moved to Davis with his family before starting his junior year at Davis High School.

Holoman, the married father of adult children, is a longtime Davis resident and was a professor at UCD from 1977 to 2014. He has had a distinguished career in music, serving as the fourth conductor of the university symphony during that time.

The friendship evolved into unwanted sexual advances starting when Gray was a freshman at UCD in January of 1987. Gray said Holoman assaulted him in a hot tub at Holoman’s home on Pamplona Avenue, and raped him later that fall at the family’s beach house in Mendocino.

Holoman denies the allegations. But on Monday, he apologized for his actions in a statement released by his attorney, Steven Sabbadini of Woodland.

“I am distressed and deeply apologetic for my role in any event that has harmed Danny Gray in any way, and heartsick at the thought of harm that has festered for 30 years,” Holoman said.

“Our memories of that time differ markedly, but the remorse is very real. I continue to treasure memories of our long friendship and its focus on the beauties of art, literature and history.”

Disciplinary action

Upon learning of the allegations, UCD administrators acted swiftly, stripping Holoman of his emeritus status on Monday. Holoman also accepted a demotion from distinguished professor to professor, UCD spokeswoman Dana Touposis told The Enterprise.

“The removal of emeritus title means he will no longer be eligible to be employed by the University of California or to participate in teaching, governance or scholarly activities related to the University of California,” Touposis added.

Holoman’s signature on the agreement is not an admission of any misconduct, she said.

Read the agreement here: 2017 agreement with Holoman

There is no record of the action taken against Holoman after Gray made complaints in 1987 and 1996 to Dennis Shimek, who then was acting vice chancellor of academic affairs, and Gray said he doesn’t know whether any discipline was imposed. UCD does not keep all records dating back that far, Topousis said.

She said Monday that Chancellor Gary May has asked a team of his administrators to “begin reviewing practices and systems involving sexual harassment records. He asked them to develop recommendations for appropriate long-term protocols and practices that are consistent with university policy and collective bargaining agreements.”

These recommendations are due at the end of January.

But a public records request revealed another agreement Holoman signed, this one in March of 1997, which appears to establish a pattern of behavior.

In this disciplinary action for “unprofessional conduct,” imposed by then-Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, Holoman was informed that he would be suspended for a month without pay and was told to seek professional counseling.

The agreement stipulated that “any such future conduct, and a finding that the conduct is defined as a violation of the campus sexual harassment policy or a violation of the Faculty Code of Conduct, shall result in filing formal charges against you with a proposed sanction of dismissal.”

Read the agreement here: 1997 agreement with Holoman

Chancellor’s statement

Also on Monday, Chancellor May released a statement about sexual abuse on campus, offering support to those who have been victims, and acknowledging that the process hasn’t always served them well.

“I have no doubt our own UC Davis community includes survivors and their abusers,” he wrote. “Some endured individuals in positions of power and authority who abused, bullied or harassed them. Others may have experienced peer-to-peer non-consensual sexual violence or harassment.

“These stories are heartbreaking. The toll of the abuse lasts a lifetime, and it impacts the individuals, their loved ones and others in their lives in countless ways. With so many stories being shared publicly, we understand more about how people survive the experience, and we are more aware of how much confusion, pain, shame and guilt can be associated with such an experience.

“Needless to say, abusive behavior is unacceptable. It is morally wrong and it violates university policy,” the chancellor continued. “I support those in our community who have come forward or who are thinking about doing so. The safety and security of our community remains my priority for those who study, work and live here.

“Many of the reports of abuse emerge after years and sometimes decades of silence and shame. In the past, few if any institutions had adequate reporting and investigative processes, UC Davis included. Our protocols and processes have improved greatly over the years.

“I am encouraged that our team is dedicated to being thorough, fair to all parties, and timely. I’m also encouraged by the renewed commitment that the University of California has made to fostering a culture of safety and security on every campus.”

See the accompanying story for information on services for victims and reporting processes. Read May’s entire statement at http://bit.ly/2AMz7Yp.

Why now?

Thirty years have passed since the incidents that Gray has detailed, so why is he making the accusations public now?

In his statement, Gray explains that “it is common for victims of harassment and assault to wait a long time before telling their stories publicly,” something he has learned in his career handling such allegations for the university.

He also told The Enterprise that the notion of being raped by an acquaintance was a new idea 30 years ago, which makes him unsure if he even used the word “rape” when he reported it to Shimek. Now Gray is unequivocal that it was, “in fact, rape: nonconsensual, forced sex with someone who was too intoxicated to consent, or to extricate himself.”

But, he explained, a main motivator for telling the story now is the #MeToo movement.

“I have been so deeply moved and inspired by stories of others, and I feel like there is a national healing — extremely painful, but ultimately a healing process,” he said. “I want to be part of it, I want to contribute to it.”

How it started

“Professor Holoman was friendly to me from the beginning, and I was no doubt flattered by his apparent interest in being my friend,” Gray wrote in his statement.

Gray, who was openly gay at the time, explained the confusion he felt when Holoman invited him to lunch at his Davis home in early 1987.

“When we got there, Holoman made sandwiches, and then suggested we take a soak in his family hot tub. I was amazed at the suggestion, and even more amazed when he took off all of his clothes and jumped into the hot tub,” Gray wrote.

However, Gray continued, “I recall not wanting to show how surprised I was, wanting Holoman to think that I thought this was the most normal thing in the world for him to do.

“The thought fragment crossed my mind that this heterosexual man was generously attempting to show me, a gay man, that he was comfortable being naked with me. Confused, surprised, not wanting to offend my new friend, I took my clothes off and entered the hot tub.”

It was there, Gray said, that Holoman assaulted him for the first time.

“As he groped and kissed me, my thoughts could not in real time catch up with what was happening,” Gray wrote. “I went into a state of shock while he continued his non-consensual sexual predation. I vaguely recall him leading me into what I assumed was his and his wife’s bedroom, and his using my body to complete his sex act on his bed.”

Gray said he did not tell anyone about this incident after it happened, in part because he concluded that Holoman was confused about his sexuality and “was perhaps struggling to come out of the closet, which I could only imagine must be difficult for someone who is married with young children.”

A couple of days later, Gray said he confronted Holoman, saying this could never happen again, but that Gray would continue to be his friend “as (Holoman) struggled to come to terms with his sexual orientation.”

Holoman apologized, according to Gray.

In the fall of 1987, Gray accepted an invitation to Holoman’s family beach house in Mendocino. Gray told The Enterprise, “I can’t imagine why I said yes to this. … I was 20 years old and for some reason didn’t have agency in this situation.”

After arriving at the house, Holoman poured them both “large tumblers of whiskey,” Gray said. “I don’t have a clear memory of the sequence of events after I started drinking the whiskey. I became very intoxicated. Holoman raped me in the living room of the beach house.”

‘My own poor judgment’

Throughout his statement, Gray concedes he made mistakes in how he conducted himself in the friendship with Holoman. He didn’t know how to set barriers, he wanted to continue in the university symphony, and he regretfully admits he wanted a letter of recommendation from Holoman for a graduate program Gray was applying to at the University of Chicago.

As an example of not knowing how to handle the situation, Gray refers to having received “almost daily cards and letters from Holoman” while on a six-week academic trip in England. Some were sexually graphic, and one included an obscene photograph of Holoman.

Gray said he responded only once or twice to these letters, “written in language that I hoped would be received as polite but not welcoming of his romantic and sexual advances.”

Gray said that about five years ago he burned all letters he had received from Holoman.

“I am acutely conscious that my own poor judgment and poor choices, especially from fall 1989 through fall 1991, made this story longer and uglier than it needed to be,” Gray said in his statement. “I regret that I lacked the moral clarity and courage to end all engagement with Holoman permanently once his predatory nature had revealed itself.”

Gray continued, “Instead, my immaturity, my sometimes askew ethical compass, and my susceptibility to attention from an ‘important’ person made me easy prey for Holoman. My failings aside, however, Holoman was still the predator, and I was still the victim.”

UCD’s response, then and now

Today, Gray is an attorney who assists UCD administration with issues of misconduct by faculty.

“Although the path was not consciously chosen, I do almost feel like there is some cosmic karma at work,” Gray said jokingly about his career.

In fact, when asked how these allegations would be handled today, Gray said, “If it weren’t about me, I would be the person to tell you about the process.” He added that his department now aggressively disciplines conduct of this type; “I’m very proud of that.”

Gray now has a concrete understanding of the steps that should be taken after someone accuses a faculty member of sexual assault.

“I would say that I am frequently (but not always) the person who, along with a dean and/or chair, meets with a faculty member who is being placed on involuntary leave or who is being informed of allegations of misconduct,” he said.

But in the fall of 1987 after Gray said he was raped by Holoman, it took him a couple of weeks even to tell his ex-boyfriend and a couple of other close friends about the incident in Mendocino.

After that, Gray said, he took his complaint to Mrak Hall, where he met with Shimek.

“Mr. Shimek immediately made me feel like the university was there to support me in every possible way, and he was so very sorry for what I had experienced,” Gray wrote in his statement. “Above all, Mr. Shimek expressed concern that I should be able to continue with my studies, including, if I wanted, my participation in the symphony, in a safe and harassment-free environment.”

Gray said he finds it odd that he did not say to Shimek that “Holoman should be fired from the university and criminally prosecuted for rape. Those thoughts did not occur to me until years later.”

He told The Enterprise, “I had no frame of reference of what to ask for, and I basically said this professor shouldn’t be in a position of authority anymore and this shouldn’t ever happen to anyone again.”

He also recalls Shimek agreeing, and saying “that he would personally guarantee that Holoman would never be made dean,” Gray wrote.

But in the mid-1990s, Gray said, he learned that Holoman had been promoted to dean, specifically the founding dean of humanities, arts and cultural studies in the College of Letters and Science. Holoman’s web page lists this as 1995-96.

Gray contacted Shimek and told him he planned to publicly share the story of “UC Davis making a dean out of a known sexual predator.” According to Gray, Shimek apologized and said he would “fix this,” which resulted in Holoman’s removal as dean the next day.

Gray admits he was angry at Shimek for many years. The decision to promote Holoman to dean compounded his feeling that the administration’s response to his complaint had been woefully inadequate.

“But I then got to work for Dennis for 2 1/2 years,” at UCD, Gray said, “and I grew to have tremendous respect for him. … He was very passionate about social justice issues, and he was a terrific boss. I am very grateful to have gotten to work with him.”

— Reach Tanya Perez at [email protected] or 530-747-8082. Follow her on Twitter at @enterprisetanya

GETTING SUPPORT AND JUSTICE

In Chancellor Gary May’s statement on Tuesday, he encouraged those affiliated with UCD who have been victims of sexual violence to report the incidents, as well as to take advantage of resources offered on campus.

Services for victims include:

* The Center for Advocacy, Resources and Education (CARE) offers confidential resources for any student, faculty or staff who has experienced sexual violence or sexual harassment.

More information is at care.ucdavis.edu, and sexualviolence.ucdavis.edu.

* The Academic and Staff Assistance Program offers confidential, free assessment, intervention, consultation and referral services to all UCD faculty, staff and their immediate families. Schedule an appointment by calling 530-752-2727 or emailing [email protected], or email questions to the interim director, Satinder Gill, at [email protected]

* The Ombuds Office is a confidential, independent, impartial and informal problem-solving and conflict management resource for UCD affiliates. Call 530-754-7233 for an appointment.

Resources for reporting sexual misconduct include:

* UCD’s Title IX officer Wendi Delmendo at 530-752-9466 or [email protected]

* The Harassment and Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program helps individuals and campus units resolve conflicts and complaints related to harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual violence, and hate and bias. Call 530-747-3864 or read more at http://hdapp.ucdavis.edu/index.html.

* There are several options for reporting incidents to law enforcement. For on-campus incidents or those that occur on university property, file a report with the UCD Police Department at 530-752-1230. For incidents in Davis, report to city of Davis Police Department at 530-758-3600.

UC policies on sexual violence and sexual harassment include:

* The University of California Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment addresses the university’s responsibilities and procedures related to sexual violence and sexual harassment, retaliation and other prohibited behavior. Read more at http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000385/SVSH.

* The UCD Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment provides specific campus guidance to those who believe they have been subject to sexual violence or sexual harassment, or have been accused of sexual violence or sexual harassment, and describes the university’s actions to address those complaints through administrative channels. Read more at https://manuals.ucdavis.edu/PPM/400/400-20.pdf.