Stanford head football coach Troy Taylor bullied and belittled female athletic staffers, sought to have an NCAA compliance officer removed after she warned him of rules violations and repeatedly made "inappropriate" comments to another woman about her appearance, according to documents from a pair of investigations obtained by ESPN.
After the first investigation, Taylor signed a warning letter on Feb. 14, 2024, acknowledging he could be fired if the conduct continued, according to the documents. Additional complaints were documented in a second investigation that ended last July 24, but Taylor remains on the job.
In a statement released by Stanford on Wednesday, Taylor said he was using the investigations to improve "how I interact with others."
"I willingly complied with the investigations, accepted the recommendations that came out of them, and used them as a learning opportunity to grow in leadership and how I interact with others," Taylor said in the statement. "I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively and collegially with my colleagues so that we can achieve success for our football program together."
In a separate statement, a university spokesperson said, "Stanford believes in upholding the highest standards of behavior in the workplace."
"The University received complaints regarding Coach Taylor and a third party investigated the matter thoroughly. Last summer, the University took appropriate measures, Coach Taylor received coaching, and he has committed to nurturing the respectful working environment that is essential to the success of all our athletics programs."
Athletic director Bernard Muir, who recently announced his intention to resign after the current academic year, declined to comment. Andrew Luck, hired last November as Stanford football's general manager, making him Taylor's boss, did not respond to a request for comment. Luck and Condoleezza Rice, the former U.S. secretary of state and onetime Stanford provost, served on the committee that hired Taylor in December 2022.
Matt Doyle, senior associate athletics director, also received a warning after the first investigation cited him for inappropriate conduct. He told ESPN in a statement: "In the summer of 2023, some issues surrounding my performance were brought to my attention. I took those concerns very seriously and have worked diligently on implementing feedback received from that process to support a successful and positive culture."
The investigation reports obtained by ESPN are marked "privileged and confidential" and identify more than 20 former and current Stanford athletics staffers who cooperated with independent investigators.
ESPN is not identifying anyone who participated in the investigation, some of whom are quoted in the reports as expressing fear of retribution if their names were divulged. Two sources with direct knowledge of the situation spoke to ESPN on condition of anonymity.
The investigations began after multiple employees filed complaints against Taylor for what they called hostile and aggressive behavior, as well as personal attacks, the reports said. The school hired Kate Weaver Patterson, of KWP Consulting & Mediation, to investigate in spring 2023.
www.espn.com
After the first investigation, Taylor signed a warning letter on Feb. 14, 2024, acknowledging he could be fired if the conduct continued, according to the documents. Additional complaints were documented in a second investigation that ended last July 24, but Taylor remains on the job.
In a statement released by Stanford on Wednesday, Taylor said he was using the investigations to improve "how I interact with others."
"I willingly complied with the investigations, accepted the recommendations that came out of them, and used them as a learning opportunity to grow in leadership and how I interact with others," Taylor said in the statement. "I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively and collegially with my colleagues so that we can achieve success for our football program together."
In a separate statement, a university spokesperson said, "Stanford believes in upholding the highest standards of behavior in the workplace."
"The University received complaints regarding Coach Taylor and a third party investigated the matter thoroughly. Last summer, the University took appropriate measures, Coach Taylor received coaching, and he has committed to nurturing the respectful working environment that is essential to the success of all our athletics programs."
Athletic director Bernard Muir, who recently announced his intention to resign after the current academic year, declined to comment. Andrew Luck, hired last November as Stanford football's general manager, making him Taylor's boss, did not respond to a request for comment. Luck and Condoleezza Rice, the former U.S. secretary of state and onetime Stanford provost, served on the committee that hired Taylor in December 2022.
Matt Doyle, senior associate athletics director, also received a warning after the first investigation cited him for inappropriate conduct. He told ESPN in a statement: "In the summer of 2023, some issues surrounding my performance were brought to my attention. I took those concerns very seriously and have worked diligently on implementing feedback received from that process to support a successful and positive culture."
The investigation reports obtained by ESPN are marked "privileged and confidential" and identify more than 20 former and current Stanford athletics staffers who cooperated with independent investigators.
ESPN is not identifying anyone who participated in the investigation, some of whom are quoted in the reports as expressing fear of retribution if their names were divulged. Two sources with direct knowledge of the situation spoke to ESPN on condition of anonymity.
The investigations began after multiple employees filed complaints against Taylor for what they called hostile and aggressive behavior, as well as personal attacks, the reports said. The school hired Kate Weaver Patterson, of KWP Consulting & Mediation, to investigate in spring 2023.
Reports: Stanford coach bullied athletics staff
Troy Taylor remains on the job. In a statement released by Stanford, he said he had received counseling on "how I interact with others."
