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Friday, July 1, 2016

Faculty wants probe, asks UC Berkeley to suspend coach rehiring

A UC Berkeley faculty association asked campus Chancellor Nicholas Dirks on Thursday not to renew the contract of football strength and conditioning coach Damon Harrington until an independent investigation can determine his possible role in the death of one player and the hospitalization of another.
Harrington’s contract is up Friday, and Cal officials have been mum on what they will do.
“The Berkeley Faculty Association requests the suspension of the renewal of the contract of football coach, Damon Harrington, pending further independent investigation,” wrote sociology Professor Michael Burawoy and Associate Professor of English Celeste Langan, the group’s co-chairs. The association advocates for faculty interests.
The letter to Dirks points to Thursday’s report in The Chronicle showing that a 2014 review of football practices failed to investigate possible misconduct by Harrington. The Chronicle revealed that an inquiry clearing coaches and trainers of employing abusive and reckless practice drills was performed by a UC Davis physician and a private strength coach with personal ties to Cal’s athletics staff. Cal athletics administrators also hand-picked seven of the 13 players interviewed...

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