An academics advisor for the athletics department at Iowa allegedly provided football tickets in exchange for sexual favors and “inappropriately touched student-athletes”, according to documents obtained by the Press-Citizen.
Iowa academics advisor resigns amid tickets-for-sex, sexual harassment allegations
An athletics advisor at the University of Iowa is accused of providing football tickets in exchange for sexual favors and also inappropriately touching student-athletes, according to an internal investigative report.
Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE
Peter Gray, who resigned on Monday from his position as associate director of athletic student services and director of academic advising and counseling at Iowa, is accused of everything from making sexual comments in a presentation to recruits (and their parents) to touching a student’s genitals, according to a six-page report filed by the university’s internal investigation.
“Several individuals stated that they commented to Dr. Gray and/or brought the information to the attention of a supervisor. Several individuals stated that the touching behavior took place during Dr. Gray’s first employment with the University and has continued from 2002 to the present,” the document, dated Oct. 24, states.
Gray also was found to have inappropriate photographs stored on his work computer, including two that involved individuals engaged in sex acts with toys or stuffed animals, numerous pictures of college-aged individuals posing in swimsuits and a few of individuals dressed in underwear, the document states.
Gray worked in the athletics department from 1993-1995, and again from 2002 until his resignation on Monday.
But wait, it gets (allegedly) worse! Gray admitted to photographing male swimmers “posing in their swimsuits as a screen saver on his work computer.”
The report continues with an unnamed Iowa student accusing Gray of exchanging “money and football tickets in return for sexual favors from another person who was not affiliated with the university.” Gray admitted to supplying tickets, but denies it was in return for anything sexual.
The same student also detailed to investigators (as outlined in the report) that Gray “touched his or her genital area on one occasion, in addition to other inappropriate touching, and Gray had offered to perform oral sex.”
Moreover, the report indicated that the university had previously been concerned with Gray’s behavior during his employment in the 1990s.
Investigators said in the report the majority of people they interviewed who worked in the Department of Athletics Student Service and Compliance were concerned about Gray’s behavior with student-athletes. Co-workers and former employees said that during his first employment at UI, and from 2002 to present, they repeatedly witnessed Gray hugging, patting and rubbing the shoulders and hair of student-athletes in a manner that was not casual or professional, and was unsolicited by the student athletes, the report states.
Iowa athletics director Gary Barta only said Gray resigned because of “personal reasons.”
Head football coach Kirk Ferentz, when asked about the situation in his Tuesday press conference, became combative when an AP reporter told the coach that it was “out there” that his players had “cut off contact with Pete Gray.”
“I’m distracted by ‘it’s out there,’ ” Ferentz said to the reporter asking about the Wolverines. “That’s so bad.”
Ferentz went on to say that Gray “didn’t work with our players. He did in the past, but it’s been a while.”
On Tuesday, university President Sally Mason said the school was “continuing to review all the details,” adding that “once all the facts are known, I will take all necessary actions that are warranted.”
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