Husson University is again searching for an athletic director following the resignation Friday of newly hired Amanda Nelson, a former two-sport athlete at the school in Bangor, Maine.
Nelson started in her new role earlier last week, but Husson announced June 2 that it had placed a new employee on administrative leave pending an investigation into a civil lawsuit in California. The university did not name the employee at that time, but announced Nelson's resigation Monday.
Husson University is again searching for an athletic director following the resignation Friday of newly hired Amanda Nelson, a former two-sport athlete at the school in Bangor, Maine.
Nelson started in her new role earlier last week, but Husson announced June 2 that it had placed a new employee on administrative leave pending an investigation into a civil lawsuit in California. The university did not name the employee at that time, but announced Nelson's resigation Monday.
Related: New AD at Husson University in Maine Put on Leave After Being Named in California Lawsuit
As reported by the Bangor Daily News, Husson vice president of student experience Chris Grotton is serving as interim athletic director while the school restarts its search process.
“Grotton replaces Amanda Nelson, who resigned on Friday, June 6. Nelson was appointed in early May and began work on June 2,” the school said in the press release, as reported by the Bangor Daily News.
Nelson had been placed on administrative leave on her first day on the job.
The civil lawsuit filed in California Superior Court in December 2024 named Nelson as one of several defendants and accused her of “negligent hiring, supervision and retention” in her previous role as athletic director at Del Norte High School in San Diego.
Nelson called the accusations in the lawsuit “completely false,” during a June 2 phone interview with the Bangor Daily News. At the time, she said she expected to be dropped from the suit and be back at her new job soon, Matt Junker of the BDN reported.
"The plaintiff in the civil suit, identified as a former student at Del Norte, alleged that Nelson’s romantic partner asked the student to have sex with him while that partner was involved with the school’s athletic department and football team," Junker wrote Monday. "The suit claimed that the plaintiff reported the incident to Nelson and other administration officials, but nothing was done to keep the accused individual from remaining on campus and around athletic events."
As of Monday, Nelson was still listed as a defendant in the civil case, according to Junker, based on the report of staff at the San Diego Superior Court.
Grotton has been overseeing the Husson athletics department since January, according to the school’s press release. “Vice President Chris Grotton is a familiar and respected administrator around campus and in our athletics department,” Husson president Lynne Coy-Ogan said in the release. “He will bring leadership and stability as we look ahead to our incoming class.”
The same search committee involved in Nelson’s hiring will resume its work to fill the position, Junker reported, citing a university spokesperson.
