Cal Fires Long-Time Employee over Assault Allegations

The University of California has fired an assistant athletic director for student services in light of allegations of sexual abuse against a player.

According to 247 Sports, a Cal athletic department Title IX investigation substantiated allegations by Cal guard and WNBA All-Star Layshia Clarendon that she had been sexually assaulted by Mohamed Muqtar.

In January, Clarendon, who played for Cal from 2009-2013, filed a civil lawsuit against the UC regents claiming negligence and naming Muqtar, who had been with Cal for 25 years, as a defendant. Clarendon claimed that Muqtar, also known as “The Mayor” around Cal’s campus, invited her back to his apartment when she was a freshman. Once there, she alleges that Muqtar followed her into a bathroom and assaulted her.

Clarendon recently told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that she was speaking up because she didn’t want the shame to be her own anymore. “I want the shame to fall on him,” she said, “because it's not my shame to carry, but it's something that I've had to carry. It's a horrible thing to live in silence, to carry that pain and that weight and the guilt.”

Cal released the following statement in conjunction with Muqtar’s firing:

“Our primary goal as an athletic department is to support and provide an outstanding student-athlete experience, and it pains us to hear about these actions by one of our employees who student-athletes turned to as a trusted adviser. The findings described in the report are appalling, wholly unacceptable and have no place in our department, on campus or anywhere.

“Once the campus was made aware of the concerns, Mohamed Muqtar was placed on leave from the university, and the Office for the Prevention of Harassment & Discrimination (Title IX office) launched a thorough investigation, which concluded that he was found to have violated the university’s sexual violence and sexual harassment policy, involving several former student-athletes. The disciplinary process has now concluded and Mr. Muqtar was terminated effective May 11, 2018. 

“Our thoughts are with the survivors and providing them with the resources they need through the healing process. No one should be subject to unwanted advances or verbal or physical abuse, and we encourage any member of our campus community who has experienced sexual violence or sexual assault to reach out for help, which can include counseling, academic accommodations, information about the reporting process, and more.

“Those who wish to file a report may contact the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (Title IX office) and/or, for criminal matters, UCPD. 

“Support services include the confidential advocates at the campus’s PATH to Care Center, which serves every member of our campus community impacted by sexual violence and sexual harassment, no matter when or where an experience took place. The center offers affirming and empowering support as well as guidance in navigating campus resources. Social Services at University Health Services/Tang Center also provides confidential counseling and other assistance. 

“Additional support and resource information is available at survivorsupport.berkeley. edu.

“Cal Athletics is committed to fostering a culture where everyone feels safe, welcome and respected, and the department, as well as the entire campus, has taken additional steps in recent years to address these issues. Through department-sponsored workshops, trainings and speaker series, coaches, staff and student-athletes have participated in formal training in sexual violence awareness and prevention, bystander intervention, and campus reporting procedures. An environment of care and respect must be ingrained in our culture with the understanding that the type of behavior described in the findings report is inexcusable and will not be tolerated."