Gophers AD Mark Coyle: Reggie Lynch suspended from competition

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University of Minnesota Athletics Director Mark Coyle has suspended center Reggie Lynch from competition. The decision was made after the University’s EOAA (Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action) office reportedly found he was responsible for alleged sexual misconduct.

Coyle spoke with the media Friday and would not detail the length of the suspension, but said Lynch cannot participate in athletic competition. He noted Lynch is still a member of the team.

"Reggie Lynch will not being playing tomorrow -- he is suspended," Coyle said.

Coyle cited student privacy laws on numerous occasions, expressing confidence in the University’s process regarding assault allegations.

“People should trust the procedures that we have in place,” he said. “We have procedures that have been reviewed by outside agencies. That includes providing due process for everyone involved.”

Head coach Richard Pitino said his attention will shift to preparing the team for Saturday afternoon’s game against Indiana. Pitino was unable to comment specifically on Lynch’s situation, but said he is confident in the process as well.

“We do our best to educate and we'll continue to do that,” Pitino said.

Lynch, an Illinois State transfer Minnesota added in 2015, is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He was averaging 10.1 points, 8 rebounds and 4.1 blocked shots per game. Pitino said he never noticed any red flags when the team recruited the Edina, Minn. product.

"We do a lot of background and we never saw any red flags leading up to this,” he said.

According to the Pioneer Press, Lynch is facing a suspension and campus ban until August of 2020, following the recommendation from the EOAA. They began investigating Lynch last fall after a woman presented a complaint that Lynch assaulted her in a dorm room. This is the second allegation Lynch has faced in less than a year. Last May, Lynch was arrested on suspicion of rape, but was released and not charged. He eventually cleared the EOAA investigation. The University is now investigating the new incident, which occurred in April 2016, per the report.

Lynch can appeal the decision through the Student Sexual Misconduct Subcommittee (SSMS), per University policy. If Lynch indeed appeals, the policy says the officer who reviews the case will "strive to render a decision within 30 calendar days."
 

Coyle states "trust the procedures that we have in place". Would that not mean Reggie is with the team until the appeal is heard per the procedures previously reported? Suspension seems like a new procedure.
 

Coyle states "trust the procedures that we have in place". Would that not mean Reggie is with the team until the appeal is heard per the procedures previously reported? Suspension seems like a new procedure.

Suspension is not a new procedure. Ten football players were suspended after the EOAA Report was completed but before the hearing and appeals happened.
 

But a criminal investigation was also occurring - thus suspension warranted. Coyle stated that in his press conference.
 

But a criminal investigation was also occurring - thus suspension warranted. Coyle stated that in his press conference.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but Cruze is right on this one.

Coyle was discussing why Reggie wasn't suspended when the EOAA investigation began in October. In that instance, it is not an automatic suspension policy. Where it is an automatic suspension policy is during a criminal investigation. The 4 football players were suspended early in the fall while the criminal investigation was on going. Once that concluded with no charges, the players were reinstated.

Why Reggie is suspended now and why the additional six players were suspended after the EOAA report was leaked was not a policy, but a decision made by Coyle because the optics are terrible to have them play while they appeal. (Though I strongly disagree with the report's findings on several of the players in the first place).

I would guess that the players would not have been suspended during the appeal, had the cases remained confidential until their conclusion.
 


But a criminal investigation was also occurring - thus suspension warranted. Coyle stated that in his press conference.

The 10 players were all suspended after the criminal investigation had ended with no charges. The prosecutor considered and declined to reopen the investigation after the EOAA Report was released and the players were suspended. Furthermore, none of the six additional football players who were suspended were under criminal investigation. The EOAA report did not accuse them with having sex with the alleged victim. They were only accused of sexual harassment, lying to investigators, obstructing the EOAA investigation, and miscellaneous other violations of the student code of conduct.
 

If you are under criminal investigation then you are suspended.

If you have been cleared in a criminal investigation then you are eligible to play.

If you are under investigation by the EOAA then you are eligible to play.

If you have been found responsible of violations by an EOAA investigation then you are suspended.

If you are appealing the findings of an EOAA investigation that you have violated the code of conduct then you are still suspended.

That is how it works, and it worked the exact same way during the football situation. Like him or not, Coyle is consistent about following the policies and processes which is probably why he says those words so often in his press conferences.
 

If you are under criminal investigation then you are suspended.

If you have been cleared in a criminal investigation then you are eligible to play.

If you are under investigation by the EOAA then you are eligible to play.

If you have been found responsible of violations by an EOAA investigation then you are suspended.

If you are appealing the findings of an EOAA investigation that you have violated the code of conduct then you are still suspended.

That is how it works, and it worked the exact same way during the football situation. Like him or not, Coyle is consistent about following the policies and processes which is probably why he says those words so often in his press conferences.
My preference is to have Lynch off the team. That said, the process as it has been laid out above seems fair, and from a legal perspective, the U should stick with their process.

Sent from my 2PZC5 using Tapatalk
 

My preference is to have Lynch on the floor scoring pts and blocking shots. After the games, he should shower, go back to his dorm room, lock the door and not let the women in who come knocking.
 



So did the criminal investigation not start until the EOAA found Lynch responsible then?
 


No, players are suspended during a conduct appeal. That is where this case is now.

Okay, I saw that there was a criminal investigation which appears to be wrong. Now I'm seeing that Coyle is unsure of whether or not the U has forwarded the case to the police.
 

Okay, I saw that there was a criminal investigation which appears to be wrong. Now I'm seeing that Coyle is unsure of whether or not the U has forwarded the case to the police.

Maybe you are confused with the criminal investigation from the summer of 2016 when he was first suspended? He was cleared in that case. This is a 2nd separate instance. Harder to defend him when a pattern starts becoming evident.
 






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