CU Suspends Chancellor Over Tumpkin Affair Handling

The University of Colorado has suspended its chancellor for 10 days and ordered its football coach and athletic director to donate $100,000 each for their failures in handling domestic violence allegations against former assistant football coach Joe Tumpkin.

The actions were announced by the university's board of regents after they received a report from former Interior Secretary and senator Ken Salazar.

"Mistakes were made," Salazar said. (For more information on this and other local stories, subscribe to your local Patch for breaking news alerts.)

Athletic Director Rick George and football coach Mike MacIntyre will make their donations to domestic violence organizations.

The investigation started after it came out that Tumpkin had been allowed to remain with the team and coach at the Alamo Bowl despite the athletic department having been made aware of allegations that he had abused his girlfriend for two years.

Tumpkin was suspended on January 6 and asked to resign on January 27.

Days later he was arrested on assault charges.

"We said at the outset of this matter that we didn’t handle it as we should have, particularly in how we communicated with Tumpkin’s former partner and how we reported the matter internally," said University of Colorado President Bruce Benson. "We will own our mistakes and own the solutions."

In a statement, Benson said he is taking the following actions:

• A 10-day suspension without pay for Chancellor DiStefano that the chancellor proposed and that the board and I deemed appropriate and accepted.
• The board, athletic director Rick George and I have agreed that AD George will personally contribute $100,000 to a fund at CU Boulder addressing domestic violence issues.
• The board, head football coach Mike MacIntyre and I have agreed that Coach MacIntyre will personally contribute $100,000 to be divided between a fund at CU Boulder and a community organization addressing domestic violence issues.
• I am issuing letters of reprimand and expectation to the chancellor, athletic director, and football coach.
• I am directing CU to conduct an immediate review of the relevant policies and training to make them clear, more precise and more effective.
• I am directing immediate in-person training for Title IX and domestic violence for the chancellor, athletic director and coaches, as well as for me and my executive staff.
• I am directing university counsel to ensure all long-term employee contracts have necessary language with regard to reporting obligations, particularly related to domestic violence and sexual misconduct.
• I am directing that necessary structural changes be made on all our campuses to ensure greater coordination and collaboration regarding university obligations and standards, particularly those related to Title IX and intimate partner violence. We must break down silos on our campuses.
• Given the high profile of the athletic department, I am directing structural changes to ensure deeper engagement with OIEC, university counsel and strategic communications.
• The Intercollegiate Athletics department will bear the costs of the inquiry.
• I am directing that all the individuals and units involved in the actions above report back to me by August 1 on progress.

"I know some will say these remedial measures and changes go too far; others will say they do not go far enough," said Benson. "Not everybody will be happy. The board and I believe that the actions are appropriate and necessary and that the results of this inquiry will make us a better university.

"We aim to be a national leader in responding to sexual misconduct and intimate partner violence and this experience will help us achieve that."

AP Photo/Ed Andrieski