Baylor University President Kenneth Starr resigned as chancellor of the world's largest Baptist university yesterday after being implicated in a report for not doing enough to probe sexual assaults by athletes.
Starr, who rose to prominence for his exhaustive investigation of sex scandals surrounding then-President Bill Clinton, stepped down as chancellor but will keep his post as a professor in Baylor's law school.
"With sorrow, earlier this morning, I announced my resignation effective immediately as chancellor of Baylor University as a matter of conscience," Starr said in an exclusive interview on ESPN television's Outside the Lines.
Starradded he was unaware of what was happening but still accepted responsibility.
"We need to put this horrible situation behind us," he said.
One of the victims of sexual assault at Baylor, identified only as "Sarah," told the show she sent a letter to Starr about being raped. She finds it hard to believe that he did not know about other sexual assaults.
Baylor's board of regents accepted the resignation, the school said.
Last week, the central Texas university in Waco removed Starr as president and fired head football coach Art Briles after an independent report found administrators mishandled sexual abuse cases involving football players.
The investigation found actions by Baylor administrators directly discouraged students from reporting sexual assaults. In one case, the actions included retaliating against a complainant for reporting a sexual assault. It was particularly critical of the university's football programme and athletics department leadership, saying it had failed to identify and respond to sexual violence. It said: "There are significant concerns about the tone and culture within Baylor's football program as it relates to accountability for all forms of student athlete misconduct."
Responding to the report, Richard Willis, chair of the Baylor Board of Regents, said: "We were horrified by the extent of these acts of sexual violence on our campus. This investigation revealed the University's mishandling of reports in what should have been a supportive, responsive and caring environment for students."
In a statement yesterday the board said: "We were horrified by what we learned from the investigation and again express our public acknowledgment and deepest apologies."
The fallout from the scandal has also claimed Ian McCaw, Baylor University vice-president and director of athletics, who left on Monday after he was suspended the previous week. Starr had agreed "in principle" to remain in the figurehead position of chancellor. Other, unidentified members of the administration and athletics programme have been dismissed.
Additional reporting by Reuters.
