Colorado: Colorado Coach Cleared

Colorado Coach Cleared: A Colorado investigation has cleared coach Ricardo Patton of racial harassment but found he violated school policy by failing to report a sexual harassment allegation against an employee. Conclusions of the investigation were released after a three-month investigation into comments Patton reportedly made to players and into his handling of an employee whose sexual comments were overheard by a female employee. Some players reported that Patton told them slave traders thought of light-skinned blacks as being weaker and less than dark-skinned blacks. Patton has denied that he used inappropriate racial remarks. He said he was trying to discuss black history with a player. The school’s Office of Discrimination and Harassment concluded the comment was an isolated incident and “not severe or pervasive enough to interfere with the student-athlete’s academic or learning environment.
[7/16/06]