UCF broke its silence on the KnightMoves dance team hazing controversy, but the varying answers provided to Knight News has called the university’s response and discipline into question.
UCF head cheer and dance coach Linda Gooch said in the incident report obtained by Knight News she questioned dance coach Brook Domenig about the hazing incident — Domenig said she reprimanded the team, but did not report this incident that went on to be criminally investigated.
Gooch said in the report she was notified about the August incident in an email from the rookie dancer on Dec. 1, 2019. UCF has so far refused to release the rookie’s letter to Knight News.
“[The rookie] says they were awakened at about 5am and were blindfolded and made to stand in a line and walk through a building. She says they were asked questions and if their answers were not correct they were sprayed with water. She says in the email that they were put in the trunks of the veterans cars but [the rookie’s] Coach Brook Domenig says that [the rookie] told her she was put in the back of an SUV,” Gooch wrote in the report obtained by Knight News.
“They were taken to Chick-fil-A and told to do the UCF fight song. If they made a mistake they were again squirted with water. They took the blind folds off and the veterans purchased chick-fil-A for them,” the incident report reads. “… Brook says that [the rookie] mentioned parts of this incident and Brook reprimanded the team at the time but did not report it.”
Knight News broke the news of the KnightMoves “risk of injury or death” hazing investigation by UCF Police Department on July 14 — UCFPD found the hazing did not warrant criminal charges.
In May, Knight News asked UCF why this hazing incident was not considered an organizational student conduct case. It was unclear why the student organization was not facing any kind of group disciplinary process through the Office Student Conduct, like Greek organizations routinely do, when faced with a hazing allegation.
UCF said it was looking into the situation in May and would review the matter to determine if there were reflective charges associated with individual students, along with charges of the student group, per an email with a UCF spokesperson.
“This was not being investigated as an organizational case until Student Conduct received the police report from UCFPD,” UCF spokesman Mark Schlueb said in a May email. “Student Conduct is now reviewing it and will take appropriate action.”
UCF remained silent until Friday, when its position on this matter changed.
Now, UCF claims the Office of Student Conduct did not have the jurisdiction to issue an interim suspension or take other actions against organizations or groups that were not registered student organizations.
“Given the inability of OSC to address KnightMoves as a group at the time, representatives of OSC and Athletics met and decided that OSC would investigate potential cases involving individual students, and Athletics would investigate the allegations involving the team as a group,” Schlueb said in a Friday email.
As of June 18, UCF has the authority to regulate “registered student organizations and other student groups, whether or not officially recognized by the University,” the new regulation states. UCF has not responded to Knight News’ requests for comment on a number of questions, and it is unclear why this regulation is not being used to investigate the organization.
The university defines an RSO as “any student association, group, or organization other than the Student Government Association … ” with an active registration with the university, per UCF regulations.
Organizations are subject to public record laws, whereas individual students and education records are protected under FERPA, according to UCF.
“OSC notified UCF Police of this, and paused its work to avoid interfering with the police investigation,” Schlueb said in an email. “All OSC records regarding the dance team involve only individual student cases. FERPA prohibits the release of those records.”
Knight News requested public records which show an email conversation between Cameron Walker, senior associate athletics director of compliance for UCF Athletics, and Michael Gilmer, director of UCF’s Office of Student Conduct from December 2019.
The emails in the record begin on Dec. 10, 2019 — the email thread in its entirety can be read here. Gilmer emailed Walker and said the conduct of individual students will be handled through the Office of Student Conduct, and the most recent emails show Gilmer requesting updates and what the “sanctions” of the team are:
- KnightMoves was reminded of an anti-hazing form they signed, and the consequences for violating it — it is not clear what those are.
- During the fall semester the Head Spirit Squad Coach Linda Gooch addressed the dance team and reminded them of the zero tolerance policy for hazing and how this is detrimental to team culture.
- KnightMoves was not allowed to travel to the Gasparilla Bowl and participate in the bowl festivities or contest due to this incident.
- UCF’s Title IX Office will appear during the fall camp and present— to the entire spirit team, which includes KnightMoves, Cheer and Knightro.
- KnightMoves, Cheer and Knightro will all be Green Dot trained, a bystander intervention training program, during fall camp through the Student-Athlete Welfare and Development team.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
UCFPD received a report, detailing the events from an Aug. 21, 2019 incident — from UCF’s Office of Student Conduct on Dec. 5, 2019 — according to UCFPD.
UCFPD Officer Terrell Alexander completed the police report dated April 14 and wrote that names were left out of the report because the focus was to determine if the incident warranted criminal charges for criminal hazing.
Alexander said the case does not meet the elements of criminal hazing and the determination of “hazing” should be made from the appropriate university official.
Who is the appropriate university official?
Knight News is still working to find out.
Florida’s “hazing prohibited” statute guides the Florida Board of Governors regulations, and in turn, UCF’s regulations.
Knight News asked UCF why Gilmer is not considered the individual who is responsible for “any student group” — UCF has refused to directly respond to this by time of publication.
The emails in the record begin on Dec. 10, 2019 — the email thread in its entirety can be read here. Gilmer emailed Walker and said the conduct of individual students will be handled through the Office of Student Conduct, and it appears there were some discussions.
Gilmer emailed UCF Athletics on May 18 to ask if any action was taken following the interview the athletics department had with the student. Knight News followed up with UCF regarding a public record request made the week before earlier in the day on May 18.
“I have recently become aware that the investigation is now closed with the University Police Department,” Gilmer wrote in the email on May 18. “Please note that the media is also aware of this matter and has requested any documents I have about this case.”
Gilmer said he had not yet created a case on his end as “as it was under investigation with the Police; however, will likely do so soon now that the case is now closed.”
UCF regulations state the university is not required to postpone disciplinary proceedings pending the outcome of any civil or criminal case — it is not clear why Gilmer still had not created a case or taken action until Knight News requested the public record of the dance team’s unfounded criminal hazing report, but then said he will likely do so.
Knight News responded to UCF and asked for further clarification on May 19 — the multiple attempts for comment went unanswered until it was published that the university refused to respond on July 14.
Gilmer asked Walker — again — to inform him of the actions taken by UCF Athletics so he could be “clear with the inquiries on this matter,” in an email on May 19. The next email in the thread is from Gilmer, to Walker, on July 15 mentioning an article published recently.
Knight News published an article questioning the possibility of a double standard between UCF’s treatment of other student groups on campus and the dance team.
Knight News obtained Gilmer’s emails on Friday, but was working to understand the process in which the dance team was able to avoid the Office of Student Conduct as an organization.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
