Rutgers AD Finally Meets with Parents of Abused Player

Rutgers has gotten more press for what happens to their student athletes when they aren't playing in games then they have for what their teams have accomplished competitively in recent years. Everyone is familiar with the stories about the men's basketball coach abusing players, the lack of a background check on the new athletic director and her past of abusing players and RU's most recent blemish centered around an assistant football coach bullying players.

Julie Hermann, the aforementioned AD that has a past of abuse allegations herself, met with the family of the former Scarlet Knights football player that claimed a coach on the football staff bullied him. Jevon Tyree's parents met with the athletic director Wednesday in order to get a better understanding of what had happened and what was being done.

The meeting came about after Hermann told the press for over a week that she could not reach the family despite Tyree's mother repeatedly stating that the family was trying to get in contact with Rutgers to find a resolution, but was being stonewalled by the school. After continuously stating the family could not be reached, Tyree's family made a statement.

"She cannot produce phone records, Rutgers University cannot produce records, demonstrating that Julie Hermann's office tried to contact us and had any connection with us," Clarice Tyree said. "They can't do it."

Clarice Tyree's statement worked as the Scarlet Knights athletic director was suddenly able to setup the meeting, although she never did provide any proof they had attempted to reach the family even once.

Hermann's meeting with the parents of Jevon Tyree was meant to clarify some of the misunderstandings and resolve the issues that related to Tyree's bullying as a student-athlete at Rutgers University. Rutgers said the interests of the student-athlete were central to their conversation.

Hermann did not issue a public comment herself in the statement that the school released. Many hoped the meeting between Hermann and the family would produce some answers about what really happened after both sides had put out conflicting stories to the press about whether Hermann spoke to them when they recently asked to discuss Jevon's future with the team and how the university's coaching decisions were being made.

Ms. Hermann stated that she had spoken to Mark Tyree on the phone while he said a conversation never took place. Jevon Tyree left the football team earlier this month after making claims that the team's defensive coordinator had verbally abused him and threatened to head-butt him during a spring study hall session. The player said the assistant coach then treated him unfairly once the season started going as far as limiting play time for the student-athlete.

The incident was proven to have taken place as several teammates witnessed it, as well as an academic adviser who reported it. Some believe that the situation was swept under the rug since it occurred at a time when Rutgers was already facing public scrutiny over the head basketball coach bullying players and using homophobic slurs.

There was no word on whether both sides felt anything substantial was accomplished during the meeting between Tyree's parents and the school.