Updates at 2:42 p.m. June 23
An outside investigator hired by UMass Lowell has determined that while a white coach may have directed harsh words toward a Black baseball player, ultimately, the coach's behavior did not violate the school's policies on harassment and retaliation.
The investigation arose after Cedric Rose was cut from the UMass Lowell River Hawks in February. Rose’s attorney, Ed Burley, in a formal complaint against the school, said that coach Kenneth Harring had engaged in retaliation against his client because he kept notes of the coach's alleged racist behavior in a diary. The school then hired an independent investigator to look into the allegations.
After interviews with multiple witnesses, attorney Brigid Harrington of the Worcester law firm of Bowditch and Dewey, and former director of civil rights at UMass Boston, concluded that Harring “did not engage in race-based harassment” or in “retaliation against Rose for the observations he made in his diary.”
The investigation concluded that the preponderance of evidence was “not sufficient” to relieve Harring of his position.
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Harring declined to speak with GBH News.
According to Rose's family, Harring cited various reasons for cutting Rose from the team, including punching a hole in the wall of an apartment he shared with teammates.
The outside investigator also referenced that incident, to which Rose has admitted, in her findings. She said the coach had legitimate reasons for dismissing Rose based on his conduct toward coaches and teammates, physicial damage he inflicted on the apartment, and "conduct that was reasonably viewed as intimidating and disrespectful toward a particular teammate."
The school found the interactions detailed in the investigation troubling.
"Though the investigator found that no policies were violated, their investigation revealed interactions that do not align with the university’s commitment to an inclusive and welcoming environment," the university said in a statement to GBH News.
“UMass Lowell is taking steps to ensure that the letter of our policies matches the intent of our values within the baseball program, throughout the athletic department and across the university,” the statement continued.
Meanwhile, the Rose family has reached out to the university seeking clarification and elaboration about the conclusions reached by the investigator.
Burley, the family’s attorney, told GBH News that the letter “raises more questions than it answers.” Burley said he has requested meetings with the investigator and the head of the school’s athletic department, among others, before proceeding with filing a federal lawsuit against the school, which could come sometime next week.
Correction: This story was updated to clarify the school's statement about the investigation.
This story was also updated to include the fact attorney Brigid Harrington was formerly the director of civil rights at UMass Boston.
