As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. No college has dealt with the harshness of that statement than Baylor, who is currently dealing with the aftermath of a sexual assault scandal and subsequent coverup. No matter what Baylor does, it always seems to make headlines.
Earlier today they were criticized on social media for not allowing the assistant football coaches to speak to any media for the remainder of the season. The Pepper Hamilton law firm who investigated Baylor’s handling of these cases disclosed that multiple coaches were involved in meetings with women who had been sexually assaulted, encouraging these women not to bring these crimes to light. Baylor head coach Art Briles was the only coach fired or sanctioned in the aftermath of the report.
Baylor took another hit yesterday, as offensive lineman Rami Hammad was arrested on a felony stalking charge.
According to the Waco Tribune, on July 7th Hammad was waiting for his ex-girlfriend before his class began, and repeatedly made efforts to contact her. Hammad waited for her outside the classroom despite her wishes. This prompted the woman to ask the professor to help her, as she was afraid to leave class alone.
The professor and the woman walked to his office together, with Hammad trailing. Hammad then reportedly knocked on the door of the professor’s office for several minutes before the professor attempted to call Baylor athletics. After failing in that attempt, they made the decision to call 911.
The police showed up to the scene and told Hammad to not have any further contact with her. Hammad was also reminded of the decree by investigators on the 11th.
After the July 7th incident, the woman stated that Hammad would not leave her alone, and also reported physical abuse. She also said that she did not feel safe in Waco, and fled the state of Texas as a result. Hammad also drove to her home in Dallas before July 7th to find her at her parent’s house.
Hammad was locked up on Monday for a third degree felony stalking charge. Nick Joos, the Baylor athletic spokesman, announced that Hammad was suspended from all football activities until the case ends.
In football terms, this hurts the Bears tremendously. They’ve already lost 4/5 starters from last year’s lineup, including all-American Spencer Drango. In PR terms, the Baylor Bears have completely lost the image of innocent upstart in the college football world.
In moral terms, Baylor football has been on thin ice ever since the Pepper Hamilton report came out. All their efforts to convince the world that they were handling the extreme issues on their campus are unraveling quicker than anyone ever imagined. This saga is far, far from over.
