Cal men’s basketball assistant coach Yann Hufnagel has been relieved of his duties and will no longer be a part of the team, after a campus investigation found he violated UC sexual harassment policy.
Additionally, termination proceedings have begun, Cal Athletics announced Monday, after UC Berkeley’s Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination released findings that Hufnagel had violated the university’s sexual harassment policy.
The proceedings were initiated by Cal head coach Cuonzo Martin, according to a statement from campus spokesperson Dan Mogulof. As the team prepares to take part in the NCAA Tournament, Hufnagel will no longer be traveling with the team.
“The issue of how the campus communicates when investigations substantiate allegations of misconduct is among the issues that are being reviewed right now as part of a broader review to prevent and sanction misconduct,” Mogulof said.
According to Cal Athletics spokesperson Wes Mallette, a “series of communications and behaviors” occurred between Hufnagel and a female reporter between November 2014 and May 2015. Incidents that violated UC sexual harassment policy occurred over the summer of 2015, Mallette said.
An investigation by OPHD began in August 2015, Mallette said, and concluded with the release of the report Monday.
“Right now, the only focus should be on our basketball team! My time to exonerate myself of a fruitless claim by a reporter will come,” Hufnagel tweeted Monday.
Mogulof could not comment on whether the campus community can expect more OPHD investigations to be released, citing confidentiality concerns.
The termination proceedings come after a lawsuit was filed against former dean of UC Berkeley School of Law Sujit Choudhry and the UC Board of Regents last week for sexual harassment. Choudhry, who was formally implicated in violating university sexual harassment policies by OPHD in July 2015, resigned from his position Thursday.
Mogulof has previously said the campus is currently handling 17 sexual harassment investigations.
Martin is still employed based on his offer sheet as opposed to a formal contract. Despite earlier reports, the lack of a finalized contract has no relation to the recent announcement.
“The connection is wrong between ongoing contract discussions and the current situation regarding coach Hufnagel are inaccurate,” said a Cal Athletics spokesperson. “We look forward to finalizing a contract (with Martin).”
Hufnagel was serving his second season as an assistant coach at Cal and was an important part of the recruiting process of star freshmen Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb.
In addition, Hufnagel worked extensively with the team’s backcourt, especially with senior guard Tyrone Wallace. He received much praise as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt University and Harvard University, coaching athletes such as Jeremy Lin.
“You’re talking about a guy that’s part of your staff and a family member, ’cause we take a tremendous amount of pride in that,” Martin said in a teleconference Monday. “There are always bumps in the road. … We talk to them and we continue to push forward. It’s not an easy thing, but we will find our way.”
The Bears’ first matchup is Friday against Hawaii in Spokane, Washington, at 11 a.m. P.T.
Contact Alaina Getzenberg and Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks at newsdesk@dailycal.org.