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A former University of Kentucky assistant cross-country and track coach is facing allegations of stalking and sexual harassment.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports former UK assistant coach Hakon DeVries faces multiple allegations that are detailed in a report from the school last November.
DeVries left his role last year after the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity launched an investigation after three women filed complaints against DeVries. The complaints include allegations of sexual harassment and stalking.
According to the report issued by UK, the women (whose names have not been made public) said DeVries often texted them or sent them direct messages late at night containing personal thoughts and grew frustrated if they didn’t respond or didn’t accept his invitation to follow their social media accounts.
They also allege DeVries sent them messages making comments about their appearance, and two of the women allege that DeVries hugged them, which made them uncomfortable. They also made allegations that DeVries made sexual remarks to them, including one instance where the former coach made a comment about a woman’s appearance in a bikini beside a pool.
According to the Herald-Leader report, the Office of Equal Opportunity concluded that Devries’ actions were “objectively offensive behavior,” but the case was dismissed because DeVries was no longer employed by the school.
There is a lot more to this report, which you can read from the Herald Leader.
Overall, this is definitely a stain on UK Athletics, especially combined with the ongoing lawsuit with former swim coach Lars Jorgensen, in which former swimmers filed suit against Jorgensen, Barnhart, and the university, in which they allege Jorgensen sexually assaulted them and the university “foster[ed] a toxic, sexually hostile environment within the swim program…”
Barnhart just announced his retirement, albeit with a nice annual salary of about $1, so this certainly is not a good look for UK Athletics.