St. Lawrence University on Tuesday announced it had retained an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation of its men's ice hockey program.

In a memo circulated by university President Bill Fox to the St. Lawrence campus community and obtained by the Times Union, Fox wrote that he "has directed the University to review certain allegations received through email and social media relating to potential violations of NCAA rules or institutional policies in the men's ice hockey program."

The memo said that Rick Evrard of Bond, Schoeneck and King, PLLC, would be leading the investigation. Evrard, who is based in Kansas City, has represented multiple Division I institutions in compliance and regulatory issues, according to a bio on his firm's website. A phone message for Evrard wasn't immediately returned.

Fox's memo did not elaborate on the allegations that the University received that prompted the investigation.

"The University's top priority is to protect the health and welfare of our students," Fox, the university president, said in his memo. "...During the period of this review, we will have no further comment until it is completed."

St. Lawrence University, which is located in Canton, St. Lawrence County, is 1-12-1 overall this season and 0-5-1 in the ECAC.

The university's men's ice hockey team is coached by Mark Morris, who is in his second season. He began his coaching career at Union College in the 1984-1985 season when the Dutchmen still played in Division III. The following season, Morris began a three-year stint as an assistant coach at St. Lawrence under longtime head coach Joe Marsh.

After three seasons at St. Lawrence, Morris went east on Route 11 to take the head coaching job at Clarkson University in Potsdam, where he stayed through the 2001-2002 season, compiling a 306-156-42 record.

Morris was fired from the head coaching job at Clarkson. According to an Aug. 7, 2003 report by the Associated Press, "Morris was participating in a three-on-three scrimmage Nov. 2, (2002) when one of his players, forward Zachary Schwan, a junior, gave him a hard check. He later retaliated roughly with his stick, witnesses said, and the university fired him after an investigation." The same article noted that a suit filed by Morris against Clarkson University for breach of contract ended in a confidential settlement.

Following his time at Clarkson, Morris spent eight seasons as head coach of the American Hockey League's Manchester Monarchs from 2006 through 2014, one year as an assistant coach with the NHL's Florida Panthers, and was the head coach of the AHL's Charlotte Checkers in 2015-16 before taking the head coaching job at St. Lawrence.