By Charlotte Wells on SwimSwam
Six former University of Maryland, Baltimore County swimmers rejected a settlement offer totaling $4.1 million made by the Justice Department amidst their ongoing lawsuits against the university.
The individuals sued the university for failing to protect student-athletes from former head swim coach Chad Cradock after multiple reports of sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination were brought forward and for failing to adequately address reports of sexual assault.
The settlement, approved by the Maryland Board of Public Works, offered reparations of $180,000 to former swimmers who reported misconduct during the university’s Title IX investigation.
This includes those Cradock sexually assaulted or who underwent dating violence that university staff did not adequately respond to when made aware, including the six athletes who filed suit against UMBC.
The settlement would also see the university pay $60,000 to those student-athletes sexually discriminated against by Cradock.
All six of the swimmers rejected the offer, with one male, identified only as K, commenting on what they are hoping to get out of the lawsuit.
“I want the answers more than the money,” K said. “I want to know why they thought what they did was right or why they thought not protecting us was what they were supposed to do.”
One of the attorneys representing the swimmers, Reginald Baldwin V, echoed their desire for accountability and said the university misunderstands their motivations for taking legal action.
“They think that they’re looking for a check, and that might be part of it, but they’re looking to hold individuals accountable,” Baldwin said. “That was part of the DOJ arrangement — that they would have to give up their opportunity to hold individuals accountable. They have decided at this time that this doesn’t work for them and we as their attorneys stand by them.”
Earlier this year, a Justice Department investigation, initially launched in November 2020, concluded that certain senior administrators and members of the athletic department at UMBC knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it.
In April, UMBC and the Justice Department entered an agreement, scheduled to last through the 2028-2029 academic year, that requires the university to pay members of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams who experienced sexual assault or discrimination.
The university also promised to improve its Title IX compliance office to better support student-athletes and athletic staff. This is expected to include updating Title IX policies, hiring more staff, assessing the existing Title IX compliance program and improving coordination between different offices.
It was reported that Cradock’s abuse persisted for about five years, between 2015 and 2020. Cradock committed suicide in March 2021 after resigning from his post during an investigation into his conduct. He served as the head coach of the program for 19 years.
The group of student-athletes who elected to sue the university have received significant backlash from former teammates and school officials alike, but they remain committed to their decision.
“We are all young, 20-something people going up against an institution that we thought had our best interests at heart,” one female swimmer said. “I’ve finally found my voice and I’m ready for my voice to be heard and I won’t back down. They can’t scare me anymore.”
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Former UMBC Swimmers Reject Settlement Offer from DOJ Amidst Lawsuit Against University