'Have sex with me or I will get you fired': Shock allegations rock football team
A former student of the University of California has levelled some disturbing allegations at the schoolâs football coaches and players.
Paige Elizabeth Cornelius has accused unidentified coaches and players of âruthless, endless and persistentâ sexual harassment in a lengthy Facebook post published on Wednesday.
Ms Cornelius, who worked in the football teamâs sports medicine unit in 2018, says one coach told her: âIf you do not have sex with me, I will get you fired.â
âMaybe because I am a new face in the sports medicine squad, but maybe for other reasons, I was being stared at up and down, by coaches and (players) alike,â she says about her first day with the team.
After just one practice session, Cornelius says her Instagram started to âblow upâ with âcreepy messages.â
She says the treatment by one coach âtruly kept me up at night.â
âHe would stare at me, wink, and ask me to guess what he wanted,â she wrote.
âHe would grab my arm and look at me with knowing eyes, and I would get so scared I would toss a bottle at him and run away.
âTo no surprise, he found me on Instagram, and starting messaging me, for which I then blocked him.
âOne day after practice, I realised he was following me home, as he was supposed to be going in the opposite direction, but was keeping a close pace behind me before he caught up to me outside my front door.â
She says another coach invited her to the stadium offices at midnight.
âI was under the influence, and not legally in a state of mind to be consenting to sex,â Cornelius wrote.
âHe snuck me into his office, I put my backpack and binder down, and he immediately grabbed for my waist.
âI was terrified, my mind was fuzzy, and I do not remember much from that night. He kept kissing me, pushing me against the wall, and I left.â
The next day, Cornelius says the coach told her: âIf you do not have sex with me, I will get you fired.â
Cornelius, who has since left the school, went on to say the players werenât much different, and alleged she was passed over for a promotion because âshe would be a distraction in the training room.â
âI have never felt more objectified in my life, and I still have nightmares,â she says.
âAgainst our core valuesâ
The schoolâs athletic department has responded to the claims, stating Corneliusâ allegations have been referred to its Office for Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination.
âWe are aware of the very disturbing public allegations made on social media,â a Cal Athletics statement read, according to the New York Post.
âThese allegations go against the very core of our values. Cal Athletics is and will always be committed to fostering a culture where everyone feels safe, welcome and respected.
âWhile we can discuss our process for handling these matters, we generally cannot address any specific case.
âAllegations of sexual violence and sexual harassment by campus employees are confidential unless officials determine policy is violated, and disciplinary action has been decided.â
Athletic director Jim Knowlton reportedly addressed the accusations in a letter sent to ticket holders and donors.
âLet me be absolutely clear: we will lend our full moral and operational support to the campus inquiry into these allegations,â the letter read.
âWe will support the imposition of appropriate consequences as required by the outcome of that inquiry. We believe in a culture that fosters dignity and respect.â
Cornelius has since told ESPN that she emailed team officials last year, and has now gone public with the allegations because of the lack of response.
A source also reportedly told ESPN that the coach who allegedly threatened to fire Cornelius if she didnât have sex with him doesnât work there anymore.