WSJ -- Baylor Details ‘Horrifying’ Alleged Sexual Assaults by Football Players

For months, people both inside and outside Baylor have demanded additional information from the University and its Regents regarding the sexual assault scandal that has unfolded here over the last 15 months. In an article posted online by the Wall Street Journal this afternoon, they may be starting to get it.

The piece, authored by Brad Reagan, begins with one of the most damning possible sentences describing the breadth of the scandal. According to Reagan:

The piece goes on to include quotes from the unnamed Regents, of whom there are apparently several, as well as Briles’ attorney, who claims the Regents are “pulling their own house down to justify the mistakes they made,” presumably in implementing Title IX. The piece also contains a quote from a Regent describing a meeting with Briles himself:

From the Twitterverse, it appears that this statement is what most are latching on to from the piece, and rightfully so. While not exactly an admission of wrongdoing, this statement, if made, demonstrates a fundamental failure on Briles’s part to address the situation before him and respond appropriately. His attorney and/or supporters will argue (and have) that he shouldn’t have been in that position to begin with; it’s not his job to enforce Title IX. But it is his job to react appropriately to things he learns and not delegate duties as important as responding to interpersonal violence.

There’s a lot of information in here that I won’t even begin to try to summarize, and I’m not attempting to convince anyone of anything. Patty Crawford makes an appearance, as does Drayton McLane. There’s also a specific occurrence mentioned where Briles allegedly knew about an assault and suggested the victim go to the police but did not report the allegations to the school or judicial affairs.

I would highly suggest that everyone read the piece, as it contains the first real quotes from people actually involved in the decision-making process, including the revelation that some donors did actively attempt to convince the Board to bring Briles back. If you are still wondering whether that’s going to happen, the quote from Ron Murff, Chairman of the Board of Regents, should probably convince you:

Hopefully we’ll actually reach that objective at some point.