Baylor rocked by wave after wave of ugly allegations
The allegations against Baylor, its football program and former coach Art Briles, get uglier with each new lawsuit and legal filing that only intensified last week.
[...] they keep rolling in, deepening the public disgust and mistrust with the nation’s largest Baptist university as it tries to fight lawsuits, settle others and fend off withering criticism from all sides as to how things spun so out of control with a sexual assault scandal rocking the football program.
Baylor faces at least six federal and state lawsuits as well as a federal civil rights investigation into claims the school and football program, which Briles built into a Big 12 champion from 2008-2016, ignored, mishandled or tried to cover up reports of sexual or physical abuse and other criminal misdeeds across campus for years.
A court filing last week alleges more than 50 acts of rape by more than 30 football players over a four-year period, and that Baylor football promoted a culture of “sex, drugs and violence.”
After months of refusing to release details from its own investigation, Baylor on Thursday revealed text messages between Briles, assistant coaches and staff members that appear to show them trying to shield players from police and university discipline.
[...] the university’s own investigation that led to Briles’ firing in May determined that his program acted “above the rules” and that the school mishandled assault complaints across campus for years.
A person familiar with the deals says free-agent relievers Jerry Blevins and Fernando Salas have agreed to contract terms and veteran left-hander Tom Gorzelanny has agreed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Blevins, a former A’s reliever, and Salas both pitched in prominent roles for the Mets last year and helped them reach the National League wild-card game, which they lost to the Giants.
Jack Sock and Steve Johnson won their doubles match in three sets, sending the U.S. to the Davis Cup quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Switzerland in Birmingham, Ala.