Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague made a sudden decision to resign last week amid allegations that he sent inappropriate text messages to other university employees. On Monday, a local reporter revealed that sexual harassment has been a habit for Teague for quite some time.
In a lengthy story that is worth reading in its entirety, Amelia Rayno of the Star Tribune detailed some of the disturbing advances Teague made toward her beginning in December 2013. Rayno, who covers Minnesota basketball, had agreed to meet Teague for a drink after a going-away party for a university employee. Rayno believed the meeting was strictly professional and would be a good way to establish a better relationship with a valuable source.
So I agreed to have that drink. But this December night was different. Teague asked me about my longtime boyfriend, as he often did. My mistake was acknowledging that we had just broken up. The switch flipped. Suddenly, in a public and crowded bar, Teague tried to throw his arm around me. He poked my side. He pinched my hip. He grabbed at me. Stunned and mortified, I swatted his advances and firmly told him to stop. He didn’t.
Don’t deny,” he said, “our chemistry.”
I told him that he was drastically off base, that my only intention in being there was as a reporter – to which he replied: “You’re all strictly business? Nothing else?”
I walked out. He followed me. I hailed a cab. He followed me in, grabbing at my arm and scooting closer and closer in the dark back cabin until I was pressed against the door. I told him to stop. I told him it was not OK. He laughed. When I reached my apartment, I vomited.
Later that night he texted: “Night strictly bitness.”
Rayno said the relationship became even more inappropriate in the wake of that incident. She claims Teague would often tell her “you owe me” when she had to call him for a quote for a story. She eventually began avoiding him altogether.
I stopped speaking to Teague unless it was absolutely necessary. When he wanted to get a drink, I told him I was busy. I avoided him as much as possible. Losing meaningful access to an athletic director isn’t a situation a college reporter wants to find herself in, but to me it was the best of all the bad options.
He noticed the change.
“Ur no fun anymore,” he texted.
“U seem obtuse.”
“Ur radio silent.”
“U think I’m gross.”
“Ur giving me a complex.”
“U hate me, I’m toxic.”
The incidents — including copies of text messages sent by Teague — were documented with a human resources officer. Rayno said she decided to not take action out of fear of losing access to the university and negatively affecting her career.
When Teague apologized for sending the inappropriate text messages to two coworkers and resigned, I commended him for taking responsibility for his actions. Now that I know this is something that has been going on for well over a year and wasn’t an isolated incident, it goes without saying that my opinion has changed dramatically.
