Fired USU assistant athletics director is “fighting bullies” to “clear” his name

LOGAN, Utah (KUTV) – He was unceremoniously fired from Utah State University, but in his first television interview, former interim athletics director Jerry Bovee insisted that he had done his job, would work to clear his name and, to do so, would be in a “big fight with one.” Tyrants”.

“To do my job and report it and result in termination, I just can’t imagine that,” Bovee said while speaking to 2News at his lawyer’s office in downtown Salt Lake. “It was a slap in the face.”

USU fired Bovee in July, around the same time as head coach Blake Anderson and two other members of the athletics department.

This was followed by the arrest of a football player who was accused of domestic violence. The university said Bovee did not properly report the arrest to USU’s Office of Equity, which oversees the university’s compliance with Title IX and sexual misconduct and discrimination policies.

“Have you tried to advocate for this child?” 2News asked Bovee.

“I never tried to represent a student-athlete,” he said. “I never tried that. I never did it. I would never do it. I didn’t know the boy. I have not spoken to the student-athlete directly.”

Bovee said he discussed the allegations immediately after a scheduled meeting with two other administrators, including a vice president. According to Bovee, it was agreed that the vice president would forward the information according to guidelines.

“All I knew, which wasn’t much,” he said. “But they’ve always told us to file the report, we can do the investigation, but we want to know as soon as you know and we’ll go from there.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Bovee also made new allegations during the interview, including that new athletic director Diana Sabau was responsible for a “toxic environment” within the department.

“My job duties were taken away from me,” he said. “In one of my open staff meetings, she came in, basically took over the meeting and threw me to the wolves in front of my co-workers.”

Bovee said he offered his resignation twice.

“I said there’s something going on here, I’ll just get out of your way and leave,” he said. “And she pointed at me and said, ‘You’ll go when I say you go.'”

Bovee said he and unnamed others in the department contacted the university’s human resources department. Just days before his firing, he had scheduled a meeting with human resources to discuss Sabau.

“I came to the meeting to discuss the complaint and the tables turned,” he said. “‘Well, here’s your resignation letter, and here’s why, and it’s over.'”

“And you’re thinking?” 2News asked.

“That’s what will happen to my alma mater,” he said. “I was shocked, hurt.”

2News interviewed university spokespeople about Bovee’s claims of a toxic environment and bullies in the administration.

In response, USU issued the following statement:

“Utah State University stands by our decisions. The university has initiated a complaints procedure, which has now been completed. We are focused on the future, especially this weekend as we celebrate homecoming and our student-athletes.”

Bovee submitted his dismissal to a university grievance committee, which upheld his dismissal, although he claimed, according to policy, that there was no other choice.

The U.S. Department of Justice in 2020 found failures in USU’s response to allegations of sexual misconduct and recently said the university “failed to take steps to remedy a persistent hostile environment within its football program.”

The university has committed to taking further steps to comply with DOJ guidelines.

For his part, Bovee said he is preparing to file a lawsuit against the university — soon.

___