Two University of Minnesota employees have described the sexual harassment they reported they were subjected to by former Gophers Athletics Director Norwood Teague as “frightening and wrong.”
Teague resigned last week from his role after two U employees reported they had been “inappropriately touched” by the then AD, who then sent one of them “lewd and disgusting” text messages.
Teague admitted he had behaved improperly in an interview given to KARE 11’s Jana Shortal, saying he’d had “too much to drink.”
In a statement issued by the college Wednesday afternoon, the two employees reluctantly identified themselves as Ann Aronson and Erin Dady, members of President Eric Kaler’s senior leadership team.
They said they had intended to keep their identities secret, but felt the need to come forward after Teague allegedly sent emails “inside and outside of the U of M community,” which said that the incidents of “unwelcome sexual advances” and “verbal and physical misconduct” happened at a senior leadership retreat.
“With only a dozen women having attended the retreat, our identities have been rumored and speculated about,” they said. “And some members of the media have sought to discover who we are.”
“We felt compelled to report Teague’s behavior because it was frightening and wrong. We believed there would be others, and we felt a duty to help protect them,” they added, saying that having to much to drink is “not an excuse.”
“At a recent University event, I had entirely too much to drink,” Teague said last week, according to the Star Tribune. “I behaved badly toward nice people, including sending truly inappropriate texts. I am embarrassed and apologize for my offensive behavior. This behavior neither reflects my true character nor the values of the University.”
Following his resignation, Star Tribune college sports reporter Amelia Rayno said in a column that she had been harassed by Teague over a period of several months.
Aronson is the deputy chief of staff and chief of marketing at the university. Dady is a special assistant to President Eric Kaler.
