More than 100 current and former Utah State University athletes have signed a letter in support of former associate athletic directors Amy Crosbie and Jerry Bovee, who were recently fired amid a rash of athletic department terminations.
As reported by The Salt Lake Tribune, Bovee served as associate vice president and deputy athletic director of external affairs on the Aggies. He was let go alongside former head coach Blake Anderson and director of player development and community engagement Austin Albrecht following a Title IX investigation conducted by Kansas City-based law firm Husch Blackwell in 2023. Crosbie, the school’s executive associate athletic director, was terminated on July 8, but the reasoning for her firing is unknown.
The investigators' report, which USU athletic director Diana Sabau has defended, indicated that Anderson conducted his own singular investigation following an alleged domestic violence case involving a former Utah State football player. Anderson also delayed the suspension of the said player, according to the Husch Blackwell investigation.
Related: USU Athletic Director: No Agenda Behind Recent Firings
In the letter dated Monday and addressed to the Utah Board of Higher Education and the Utah State Board of Trustees, the 111 signees are calling for a full transparent “independent investigation” done on the behalf of both Bovee and Crosbie due to their dismissals earlier this month.
“Throughout their time at the University, Mr. Bovee and Mrs. Crosbie have unquestionably kept student-athletes and their experiences at the forefront of their values and actions,” the letter says, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. “Their dismissal is a loss for current and future athletes and the whole of Utah State Athletics, a loss that will be felt immediately and moving forward.”
The Salt Lake Tribune was made aware of the letter before it was sent to both the Utah State Board of Trustees and Utah Board of Higher Education. In a one-on-one interview with Sabau, the Tribune asked USU’s athletic director if she was aware of it and if she had any comment on it.
“I’m not really very familiar with any of what you’re talking about,” Sabau told The Salt Lake Tribune.
According to Tribune reporter Jason Batacau, Sabau also provided no additional information on the specific terminations of both Bovee and Crosbie. She did, however, say that “good people make bad mistakes,” but wants the athletic department to have better accountability and integrity moving forward.
“I would love to be able to unpack that for you,” she said. “But right now because there are current employment practices happening, their fair process has to play out, and I can’t comment on any of that.”
Among the notable athletes who signed the letter: former Utah State men’s basketball players Gary Wilkinson, Spencer Nelson, Spencer Butterfield and Jaycee Caroll, current football star Ike Larsen, and former USU volleyball player Erin (Cartwright) Davis.
“I’ve known Jerry and Amy for many years,” Wilkinson said, as reported by Batacau. “Their work ethic and integrity are beyond question. Seeing them treated this way raises serious questions about these decisions. I join with fellow current and former student-athletes in calling for this matter to be dealt with in a manner consistent with Aggie values.”
