NCAA Gymnastics: 2014 Women's National Championship APR 18

Penn State Head Coach Jeff Thompson gathers his team for a cheer before beginning their vault rotation during Session 2 of the 2014 NCAA Women's Gymnastics National Championship at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, AL.

(Kyle Okita/Cal Sport Media)

The entire Penn State women's gymnastics team approached a university administrator in January to complain about the bullying tactics of two coaches, multiple sources told PennLive this week.

The gymnasts raised concerns about the "negative environment" fostered by the husband-wife duo of Jeff and Rachelle Thompson, according to Sam Brown, a former assistant, and two current gymnasts, who asked to remain unnamed due to fear of retribution.

Brown and the unnamed athletes spoke to PennLive a week after a former gymnast, Kristin Blades, said the Thompsons pried into her personal life, teased her about her weight and threatened to strip her scholarship.

Blades and Brown described an atmosphere so toxic that, they said, all eight gymnasts from the 2012 freshman class quit before the start of the 2015-16 season. The program also has been through three assistants in as many years.

Brown said she was fired days before the current team members met with Julie Del Giorno, Penn State's director of athletic integrity.

The university offered Brown her full year's pay if she agreed to not speak publicly about the women's gymnastics program, her attorney, Martin Greenberg, said. Brown, an All-American at Georgia in the 1990s, declined the offer, according to her lawyer. She said she isn't suing the university but hopes changes are made.

"You hear in the media, 'These are just sour grapes," said Brown, who spent just six months as a PSU assistant. "But I experienced it. I was a Division I college athlete. I know what it takes to be successful at that level, and I know what's going on is wrong."

Attempts to reach Del Giorno, athletic director Sandy Barbour, head coach Jeff Thompson and assistant Rachelle Thompson through phone and email were unsuccessful.

But Penn State released the following statement: "Comments made by a former member of the women's gymnastics staff do not completely reflect the context of the matter and, in some cases, are not accurate. Intercollegiate Athletics takes all complaints seriously. This matter was reviewed by an external unit outside of Athletics and all confidential University procedures were followed. Consistent with University policy, this is a personnel matter and we do not have any further comment."

Former Penn State women's gymnastics coach Samantha Brown poses with a youth gymnast at the All American Gymnastics Academy in Georgia, which Brown owned and operated before arriving in State College.

The university also said there were conversations between the athletic administration and members of the women's gymnastics team through the season and during postseason evaluations. The evaluations, which are conducted for each team, remain ongoing for women's gymnastics.

Last week, Barbour told PennLive in a phone interview she was confident the Thompsons "care deeply about their athletes."

Complaints go unheard, attorney and parents say

Greenberg, a Milwaukee attorney, said Penn State's athletic department has overlooked a pattern of abuse and failed to properly address complaints.

Greenberg, once retained by Brown, said he conducted an independent investigation and uncovered 17 complaints dating back to 2011, the first season the Thompsons coached in State College. The accusations of abuse were first reported by The Daily Collegian, PSU's student-run newspaper.

On Feb. 1, 2016, Greenberg said he sent a 27-page email to Barbour, university president Eric Barron, members of the board of trustees and others at the university, notifying the department of his findings.

Greenberg declined to release the email to PennLive, but said he received no response from Penn State.

"It is obvious to me, having some expertise in this, that these coaches and this administration crossed the line," he said. "There was no settlement to this in my mind unless they got up and admitted that these coaches engaged in abuse and that they be fired immediately."

"This was nothing more than a whitewash," he added. "This kind of activity had persisted for years."

Three parents of former PSU gymnasts told PennLive last week they also felt the administration did not investigate their daughters' claims.

Jim Blades' daughter, Kristin, quit three years ago after she said she was harassed by Rachelle Thompson. Over the course of months, Jim Blades said he sent dozens of emails to athletic administrators but was told the matter had been resolved internally.

"They just don't seem interested in helping us out," he said.

Brown says she felt abused, concern for gymnasts

Brown arrived in State College in July and said she grew uneasy about the Thompsons in September, when workouts began. She said Rachelle Thompson forced athletes to perform through injury and intimidated them.

Penn State's associate head coach Rachelle Thompson talks with Taylor Alotta before her balance beam routine during the NCAA women's gymnastics championships on Friday, April 18, 2014, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

When Brown told Jeff Thompson of her concerns in October, she said, he called her a brat and was causing marital problems between him and his wife.

Brown said Rachelle Thompson was dismissive of her after that and berated her in front of the team.

"[Rachelle] said, 'We do not need you here, we can run this team by ourselves,'" Brown said. "Outside of the gym, she was a totally different person. When she came into the gym, basically a light switch went off."

Brown said she talked with Jeff Thompson in late November in hopes of relaying her anxiety about Rachelle.

A week later, Brown said the Thompsons suspended her for two days.

Brown said she then told deputy director of athletics Phil Esten of her issues with the Thompsons. She said administration explained the gymnastics program was under review.

Esten could not be reached for comment for this story.

Brown said she was supposed to have an interview with Del Giorno, whose position was developed after Jerry Sandusky's sex abuse scandal came to light, but never did.

"How do you do an investigation and look into things without really asking me any questions?" Brown said.

Brown said Esten and Jeff Thompson told her in early January the matter had been addressed and no disciplinary action was necessary. Brown said she chose not to return to work and was fired with cause a week later.

She released a statement that month to say her departure came "after the university failed to properly address my concerns and the concerns I had for the student athletes."

After that, the team went to Del Giorno to say the former assistant's complaints were valid, two gymnasts said.

Del Giorno told the athletes she would set up an appointment with Esten so they could voice their concerns, the gymnasts said.

According to the two gymnasts, the team detailed Thompsons' overbearing tactics during a follow-up meeting with Esten in February.

Esten said the university would follow up on their accusations, the gymnasts said.

Jeff and Rachelle Thompson remain with the Lions' program. If there was any discipline against them, it has not been made public. They led PSU to a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten tournament in March.

Brown said that since she was fired, she has received emails and letters from several gymnasts who told her they felt abused by the Thompsons at Penn State and Auburn. She also said she's heard from other assistants who worked under the Thompsons, too.

A former club owner and NCAA judge, Brown said she decided to share her story in more detail with PennLive because she was concerned Penn State was making it difficult for its gymnasts to be treated fairly.

"Are we doing everything we can to make sure these girls feel comfortable enough to say something?" Brown said. "It doesn't seem like that to me."

-- @AaronKazreports