UC Berkeley releases report on sexual harassment claim involving assistant basketball coach

Lyanne Melendez Image
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
UC Berkeley moves to fire assistant coach over sexual harassment claim
The University of California Berkeley has released an investigative report into allegations of sexual harassment by the assistant coach of the school's men's basketball team.

BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- New information is being released on sexual harassment allegations that led to the dismissal of a University of California Berkeley basketball coach.

UC Berkeley Tuesday released the investigative report into allegations of sexual harassment by the assistant coach of the men's basketball team. The investigation began in August.

Hufnagel was released from his coaching duties Monday.

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Hufnagel first made contact with his accuser in November 2014. She told him, as a reporter, she met with coaches as a part of her job.

In the 23-page report, the woman, whose name has been blacked out, requested to meet with Hufnagel for coffee in order to gather information. She claims the coach frequently turned the text conversations into sexual innuendos.

She testified that sometime in February 2015 Hufnagel insisted in going to a place called Jupiter on Shattuck Avenue. The reporter says she later drove him home after he told her, "He was too drunk to drive home and insisted that she drive him to his residence."

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The report says she drove her car into the apartment garage. She claims the conversation then went like this:

Hufnagel: "You're coming up."

Victim: "No, I'm going to leave now. Are you thinking that I'm going to have sex with you?"

Hufnagel: "Yes."

Victim: "Not going to happen. You and I are professional colleagues. Not interested in you."

She says she felt scared when she noticed the garage door was closed.

In the same report, Hufnagel says days before going to Jupiter, he acknowledged texting her to go out after the game. She agreed.

He says, it was a sexual advance and "in the back of my mind I was like, obviously [she's] willing.

He claims after she told him she wasn't interested, he drove her back to her car, and that was the end of it.

Hufnagel says it was inappropriate but it was not sexual harassment.

She states that he provided her with misinformation as retribution for declining his sexual advances. She claims she was let go, because she could no longer cover the team properly.