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>>> WELCOME BACK.
THERE'S NEW CONTROVERSY AT
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY TO TELL YOU
ABOUT.
YOU REMEMBER RUTGERS USED TO BE
HOME OF MIKE RICE, THE MEN'S
BASKETBALL COACH, WHO WAS CAUGHT
USING ALL SORTS OF SLURS AGAINST
HIS PLAYERS.
>> [ BLEEP ] YOU'RE A [ BLEEP ].
>> THAT LANGUAGE SPEAKS FOR
ITSELF.
HE'S ALSO SEEN ON TAPE SLAMMING
HIS PLAYERS WITH BASKET BALLS
AND SHOVING THEM AROUND.
AFTER HIRING AND FIRING MIKE
RICE AND THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
WHO TOLERATED HIS VERBAL AND
PHYSICAL ABUSE OF PLAYERS, YOU
WOULD THINK THAT THE LAST THING
ADMINISTRATORS AND TRUSTEES AT
THAT UNIVERSITY WOULD WANT IS TO
DO THE SAME THING AGAIN, OR HAVE
MORE CONTROVERSY.
BUT SOME NOW BELIEVE THAT
THEY'RE ABOUT TO DO JUST THAT.
TROUBLING QUESTIONS HAVE COME UP
ABOUT A WOMAN NAMED JULIE
HERRMANN, THE NEWLY HIRED
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR.
EVEN GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE GOT
INVOLVED.
HERE'S RANDI KAYE.
>> Reporter: ON PAPER, SHE LOOKS
LIKE THE HEALER AND THE
VISIONARY RUTGERS NEEDS TO
RESCUE ITS ATHLETIC PROGRAM.
UNDER JULIE HERRMANN'S WATCH,
SIX YEARS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
TENNESSEE, THE LADY VOLS
ADVANCED TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DECADE.
BUT HERRMANN'S FORMER TENNESSEE
PLAYERS ARE RAISING A RED FLAG.
IN 1996, THE TEAM WROTE THIS
LETTER, SPILLING STORIES OF
MENTAL CRUELTY, ACCUSING THEIR
COACH OF CALLING THEM
[ EXPLETIVE ] ALCOHOLICS AND
LEARNING DISABLED.
THE LETTER WAS PUBLISHED SUNDAY
IN NEWARK'S "STAR-LEDGER"
NEWSPAPER.
THIS WAS JULIE HERRMANN AT HER
INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE AT
RUTGERS BEFORE SUCH SORDID
DETAILS CAME TO LIGHT.
>> IT IS A NEW DAYS, IT'S
ALREADY FIXED AND THERE'S NOBODY
WHO DOESN'T AGREE ABOUT HOW WE
TREAT YOUNG PEOPLE WITH RESPECT
AND DIGNITY AND BUILD TRUST.
>> Reporter: KIM IS ONE OF THE
LADY VOLS WHO ALLEGED ABUSE
UNDER HERRMANN.
>> ISN'T THAT IRONIC, OF ALL THE
PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN HIRE, YOU
KNOW, SOMEONE WHO HAS ACTUALLY
DONE THAT KIND OF THING TO ME,
YOU KNOW, AND TO OTHERS.
>> Reporter: HERRMANN HAD GREAT
SUCCESS FOR YEARS AS THE
ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR
THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE,
BUT THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HER
FROM FORMER TENNESSEE PLAYERS
SOUND STRIKINGLY SIMILAR TO THE
PHYSICAL AND VERBAL ABUSE THAT
RECENTLY LED RUTGERS TO FIRE
BASKETBALL COACH MIKE RICE.
AND THIS ISN'T THE ONLY THING
PUTTING HERRMANN ON THE
DEFENSIVE.
SHE'S HAD TO ANSWER QUESTIONS
ABOUT AN OLD LAWSUIT BY FORMER
ASSISTANT COACH GINGER HEINLINE,
WHO CLAIMED HERRMANN FIRED HER
BECAUSE SHE GOT PREGNANT.
HEINLINE WON A $150,000
SETTLEMENT.
NOT HELPING MATTERS, THIS 1994
VIDEO OBTAINED BY THE
"STAR-LEDGER" THAT SHOWS
HERRMANN, A BRIDESMAID AT
HEINLINE'S WEDDING, TALKING
ABOUT PREGNANCY.
HERRMANN WAS ASKED AT HER NEWS
CONFERENCE ABOUT THE VIDEO.
HER RESPONSE?
>> THERE'S A VIDEO?
I'M SORRY, DID YOU SAY THERE'S A
VIDEO?
THERE'S NO VIDEO, TRUST ME.
>> Reporter: THE VIDEO ALSO
SHOWS HERRMANN CATCHING THE
BOUQUET.
AFTER SEEING THE VIDEO FOR
HERSELF, SHE EXPLAINED IN A NEWS
STATEMENT SHE SIMPLY HADN'T
REMEMBERED IT FROM NEARLY 20
YEARS AGO.
THE UNIVERSITY SAYS ITS
ATTORNEYS HAD INVESTIGATED THIS
CASE BEFORE HERRMANN WAS HIRED.
SEVERAL SUPPORTERS ARE COMING TO
HERRMANN'S DEFENSE.
TENNESSEE'S FORMER ATHLETIC
DIRECTOR, JOAN CRONING TOLD THE
"STAR-LEDGER" HERRMAN I IS QUOT,
ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING
ADMINISTRATORS IN THE COUNTRY.
AND KIM TIBBETTS, ANOTHER FORMER
QUQUOTE, WHAT THEY ARE SAYING I
CRY.Y.
SHE NENER DID WHAT THEY'RE Y
SAYING.
IT SEEMS JULIE HERRMANN WAS NO
INTENTION OF STEPPING DOWN.
IN A STATEMENT LATE MONDAY, SHE
ADMITTED BEING AN INTENSE COACH,
BUT SAID THERE IS A VAST
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIGH
INTENSITY AND ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR.
SHE SAID SHE HAS EVERY INTENTION
OF BRINGING HER PASSION AND
EXPERIENCE TO HER ROLE AS
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR RUTGERS
UNIVERSITY.
SHE'S DUE TO START JUNE 17th.
ANDERSON?
>> RANDI, THANKS VERY MUCH.
>>> LET'S DIG DEEPER ON THE LINE
BETWEEN INTENSITY AND ABUSE AND
WHAT KIND OF DUE DILIGENCE
RUTGERS ACTUALLY DID.
FOR THAT WE'RE JOINED BY RACHEL
NIC
NICHOLS AND CRAIG WOLF OF THE
NEWARK "STAR-LEDGER" WHO BROKE
THE STORY.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS?
WHAT THE COACH IS SAYING IS THAT
WORD IS NOT IN HER VOCABULARY,
SHE NEVER WOULD HAVE USED IT.
NOW YOU HAVE 15 PLAYERS SAYING
SHE ROUTINELY USED IT AND SAYING
THEY WROTE THIS LETTER AND
PRESENTED IT TO HER IN A MEETING
AND THE COACH IS SAYING SHE HAS
NO MEMORY OF THE MEETING EVER
HAPPENING.
>> I THINK THIS IS A HUGE
PROBLEM ON A COUPLE DIFFERENT
LEVELS.
YES, I CERTAINLY THINK THAT
THERE'S A CHANCE FOR HER TO
EVOLVE AND TO CHANGE OVER 15
YEARS, THAT'S WHAT SOME
SUPPORTERS HAVE SAID, THAT EVEN
IF SHE DID DO THESE THINGS,
PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO SECOND
CHANCES.
MAYBE SHE IS A GREAT ATHLETIC
DIRECTOR.
MAYBE SHE COULD GO ON TO BE A
GREAT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT
ANOTHER SCHOOL.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN SHE'S THE
RIGHT FIT FOR THIS SCHOOL RIGHT
NOW.
THIS IS A SCHOOL THAT NOT ONLY
EMPLOYED A COACH WHO MENTALLY
AND PHYSICALLY ABUSED HIS
PLAYERS, BUT THEN KEPT IT QUIET
FOR MONTHS, DIDN'T DO ANYTHING
ABOUT IT UNTIL IT WAS LEAKED TO
THE MEDIA THAT THIS WAS GOING
ON.
SO YOU WOULD THINK THAT OF
ANYBODY ELSE THEY WOULD CAST THE
NET FOR TO BECOME THEIR NEW
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, THAT PERSON
WOULD HAVE TO HAVE NONE OF THIS
IN THEIR PAST NO MATTER WHAT
KIND OF PERSON THEY ARE NOW.
IT ALSO BRINGS INTO QUESTION THE
OVERSIGHT OF THIS SCHOOL.
WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THIS PLACE
THAT YOU COULD HAVE HIRED THIS
PERSON IN THE FIRST PLACE, THAT
YOU WOULDN'T HAVE CHECKED INTO
THESE ALLEGATIONS.
NONE OF THESE FORMER PLAYERS SAY
THAT THEY WERE CONTACTED.
IN FACT, THE WOMAN WHO WE JUST
SAW IN THE PIECE WHO SUED FOR
PREGNANCY DISCRIMINATION SAYS
SHE WAS NEVER CONTACTED EITHER.
>> WHAT KIND OF DUE DILIGENCE
DID THEY ACTUALLY DO.
CRAIG, IT IS KIND OF AMAZING
BECAUSE AGAIN, MISS HERRMANN'S
STATEMENT IS PUZZLING BECAUSE ON
THE ONE HAND SHE SAID LOOK, WE
ALL MAKE MISTAKES WHEN WE'RE
YOUNG AND SHE'S EVOLVED AND
SHE'S TRIED TO ALWAYS LEARN FROM
HER MISTAKES.
SHE DOESN'T NAME WHAT ANY OF
THOSE ALLEGED MISTAKES WERE, AND
YET SHE SAYS POINT BLANK, SHE
NEVER USED THOSE WORDS, SHE
WASN'T ABUSIVE, AND SHE HAS NO
MEMORY OF 15 OF HER PLAYERS
COMING TO HER AND CONFRONTING
HER WITH A LETTER AND WALKING
OUT OF THE MEETING AND SAYING
I'M GIVING UP COACHING, I'M NOT
GOING TO COACH YOU GUYS, AND
THAT WAS THE LAST TIME SHE EVER
SPOKE TO THEM.
SO SHE SEEMS TO BE KIND OF
HAVING IT BOTH WAYS.
>> YEAH.
I SUPPOSE, YOU KNOW, IN ITS
ENTIRETY, AND I THINK THIS IS
WHAT HAS A LOT OF OFFICIALS IN
NEW JERSEY CERTAINLY PUZZLED AND
CONCERNED, IN ITS ENTIRETY, YOU
KNOW, THERE SEEMS TO BE
SOMETHING OF A THREAD IN THAT
SHE CAN'T REMEMBER HAVING BEEN
AT THE WEDDING, SHE CANNOT
REMEMBER THE LETTER THAT THE
STUDENTS WROTE, SHE CANNOT
REMEMBER DETAILS OF A MEETING
WHERE THE PLAYERS SAY THAT THEY
ESSENTIALLY CONFRONTED HER AND
THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT
TENNESSEE.
SO YEAH, THAT SEEMS TO BE A
COMMON THREAD.
I THINK SHE IS IN SOME WAYS
PAINED BY THESE OLD ALLEGATIONS.
IT IS PAINFUL FOR A TEACHER OR
COACH TO HEAR THAT SHE HASN'T
HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT AFTER ALL
THESE YEARS.
BUT I THINK THESE CREDIBILITY
ISSUES ARE A CONCERN TO
POLITICAL LEADERS AROUND THE
STATE AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING
THAT SHE MAY WELL HAVE TO DEAL
WITH IN THE COMING DAYS.
>> AND GOVERNOR CHRISTIE HAS
SAID THAT HE WANTS TO LOOK INTO
IT BUT HE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE
ANY COMMENT YET BECAUSE HE
HASN'T.
>> LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
HOW MANY WOMEN DO YOU KNOW HAVE
BEEN BRIDESMAIDS IN A WEDDING
AND DON'T REMEMBER IT.
ANY?
DO YOU REMEMBER ANY WOMEN WHO
HAVE ACTUALLY BOUGHT THE DRESS,
GONE TO ALL THE STUFF AND DON'T
EVEN REMEMBER IT?
THERE IS ALSO SAYING OH, SHE
LEFT COACHING, SHE LEFT
COACHING --
>> ALSO, IF YOU WERE A COACH AND
15 OF YOUR PLAYERS CONFRONT YOU
WITH A LETTER SAYING YOU CALLED
US [ EXPLETIVE ], LEARNING
DISABLED, ALL SORTS OF HORRIBLE
THINGS, AND YOU TURN AROUND AND
DON'T SAY ANYTHING, JUST SAY I'M
STOPPING COACHING YOU AND WALK
OUT, THAT WOULD SEEM TO BE
PRETTY MEMORABLE.
I REMEMBER THINGS MY COACHES
SAID TO ME IN COLLEGE AND YOU
KNOW, THEY STICK WITH YOU.
>> HERE'S THE CONCERN.
CRAIG JUST BROUGHT UP A GREAT
WORD.
STUDENTS/TEACHER.
THAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP HERE
WITH THE COACH, STUDENTS IN
COLLEGE, THIS IS NOT THE PROS,
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TEACHING
THESE KIDS HOW TO ACT IN THE
WORLD.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING FROM HER
EVEN TODAY, FORGET WHAT HAPPENED
15 YEARS AGO, IS THAT WHEN
SOMEBODY BRINGS UP ISSUES FROM
YOUR PAST, WHEN SOMEBODY WANTS
TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THINGS THAT
YOU MIGHT HAVE DONE WRONG, SHE'S
SAYING THE WAY TO HANDLE IT,
DUCK AND COVER, PRETEND YOU
DON'T REMEMBER IT.
IF YOU WERE A STUDENT AT
RUTGERS, IF YOU WERE A PARENT
BRINGING YOUR KIDS THERE, IF YOU
ARE A NEW JERSEY TAXPAYER PAYING
FOR THIS SCHOOL, IS THAT WHAT WE
WANT TO BE TEACHING THOSE KIDS?
>> IF I MAY, I THINK WHAT'S ALSO
INTERESTING IS THAT THESE
PLAYERS HAD NOT ORGANIZED ANY
PARTICULAR KIND OF CAMPAIGN.
>> RIGHT.
>> OF ANY KIND TO DISCREDIT HER
OR TO HURT HER.
THEY RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM
A REPORTER.
>> RIGHT.
AND IN FACT, A LOT OF THEM, I
INTERVIEWED ONE OF THEM EARLIER
TODAY SAYS LOOK, I DON'T
REALLY -- I HAVE FORGIVEN HER, I
WOULD HAVE LIKED AN APOLOGY BUT
I'VE MOVED O I'M HAVING A GREAT
LIFE, I MYSELF AS A COACH, I'VE
LEARNED WHAT NOT TO DO AS A
COACH FROM THE WAY SHE COACHED
US.
BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY ILL WILL
AGAINST HER AND MAYBE SHE COULD
BE A GOOD ADMINISTRATOR.
SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT
POINT.
THESE WOMEN ARE NOT COMING
FORWARD WITH SOME SORT OF
VENDETTA AGAINST HER.
>> WELL, ONE OF THE YOUNG -- I
WAS GOING TO SAY YOUNG WOMEN.
THEY'RE IN THEIR MID 30s.
BUT ONE OF THEM DID USE THE WORD
EITHER VENGEANCE OR REVENGE IN
TALKING ABOUT IT WITH ME BUT IT
WAS IN THE CONTEXT OF WHEN SHE
GETS HER ANGRIEST IS WHEN SHE
FEELS THAT HER COLLEGE
EXPERIENCE, THAT SHE LOST IT,
THAT IT WAS -- SHE WAS DEPRIVED
OF IT.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN I
REACHED OUT TO THEM IT WAS AS IF
I WERE SORT OF PICKING AT A SCAB
THAT WAS STILL HURTING.
AND I THINK AS THE DAYS WENT ON,
IT WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE AT
FIRST THEY DID NOT WANT TO SPEAK
ON THE RECORD AND THEN
ULTIMATELY, OVER THE NEXT FEW
DAYS, THEY DID.
SO THERE IS, YOU KNOW, A
CREDIBILITY ABOUT THEM.
THAT'S NOT, AGAIN, TO -- THAT
DOESN'T NECESSARILY ARGUE
AGAINST JULIE HERRMANN, BUT THE
PLAYERS SEEM AUTHENTIC.
THESE ARE PEOPLE ARE YOUNG