AP sued by Oregon State over probe into volleyball program

The Associated Press on Friday announced that it has been sued by Oregon State University leaders in an effort to prevent the release of details of an internal investigation into the school’s volleyball program and accusations of emotional abuse against the head coach. 

The AP in July of last year first reported on allegations from athletes and others connected to the program that coach Mark Barnard has promoted an abusive environment over the last five years that has prompted at least a dozen players to quit or transfer, with three players saying they have considered committing suicide. 

The AP reported that Barnard repeatedly pitted players against each other and pushed athletes past health warnings during practices as a form of punishment. 

In November, the news wire said Barnard threatened not to renew or completely took away scholarships based on player performance and also forced team leaders to identify weak players on the roster to ostracize them. 

The AP after the November article sought additional information on a reported internal investigation into the alleged abuse by the school’s Equal Opportunity and Access office. 

It reported that Oregon State initially refused to release information on the investigation, prompting the AP to bring an appeal to the local district attorney’s office, which it won. 

The AP said that Oregon State has since sued it in state court to prevent the disclosure of internal investigation findings and documents, with a court hearing scheduled for June 25. 

University spokesman Steve Clark has denied that the environment among the school’s volleyball team led members to contemplate taking their own lives, adding that the university has honored its commitments and scholarship opportunities to athletes. 

The Hill has reached out to Clark for comment on the lawsuit. 

The dispute comes after Oregon State’s board of trustees this week unanimously accepted the resignation of university President F. King Alexander following the release of details surrounding his mishandling of sexual misconduct cases in his previous role at Louisiana State University. 

The AP reported that Alexander will be on administrative leave until his official departure Thursday. 

“I offered my resignation to allow us to move on,” he said in a statement following the board’s Tuesday vote. “Students have and always will be my top priority.”