This is the kind of article that reminds me why I became a reporter. These brave young women came to me with stories that were easily verified and backed up with evidence, much of which they already had ready to go (a reporter's dream.) In the weeks after the story ran, 12 other athletes ended up coming forward to support their claims. The reporting process for the articles weren't easy, as listening to people relive their trauma is painful, and the publication process took its toll. But I felt proud that these people were putting their trust in me, hoping to make a difference for future UA runners. Three months after this story ran, the UA made major changes to the cross country program's staff, replacing both of its coaches.
— Caitlin Schmidt
Thea Ramsey, center, graduated from the University of Arizona in May after transferring in the fall of 2017. She experienced harassment and other issues during her three years with the UA’s cross country team.
On Halloween night 2017, University of Arizona junior Thea Ramsey was home alone while her track and field teammates attended coach Fred Harvey’s annual team party.
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The first-year member of the cross-country team had transferred to the UA to study in neuroscience, which her previous university didn’t offer.
While she was studying she received — and ignored — a phone call from a male teammate with whom she said she had an uncomfortable encounter the week before and had asked him to leave her alone. Then several more calls. Then he started banging on her doors and windows.
“I locked the doors and windows, turned off the lights and hid,” Ramsey, now 22, told the Star.
She reported the teammate to her coaches the next day and said she was shocked that no one seemed particularly concerned, even though she had told coaches just a week before that he had kissed her without consent while the two were studying, then threatened to hurt himself after she pulled away.
The coaches took no action, she said, and the male athlete was allowed to keep competing even as other team members reported him to coaches for sending a naked Snapchat video and making disparaging comments about sexuality and about people living with disabilities. He was finally dismissed from the team in early 2019 after a different student took out a protective order against him.
Ramsey is one of eight women — all former members of the UA track and field team — who contacted the Arizona Daily Star earlier this summer to detail incidences of sexual harassment, bullying and even assault by teammates, both women and men. They said their complaints were dismissed by coaches, who often attempted to discourage victims from telling teammates, friends and family members what they were experiencing. In several cases, they said, coaches failed to report allegations of sexual discrimination to appropriate authorities as required by federal law.
Among their claims:
- Female athletes were subjected to public weigh-ins and required to track food and calories consumed — practices experts say can cause and perpetuate eating disorders.
- Some runners were pushed by coaches and support staffers to overtrain, often while injured, raising their risk for injury or permanent damage.
- Less successful athletes were ignored or punished for breaking minor rules, while some more successful athletes were given repeated passes for breaking team and school rules.
- Serious mental health issues were neglected or glossed over by coaches.
Longtime UA track coach
Assistant
coach, ex-UA athlete
Joan Steidinger wrote “Stand Up and Shout Out”
Contact reporter Caitlin Schmidt at cschmidt@tucson.com or 573-4191. Twitter: @caitlincschmidt
