Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Growing Scandal Involving University of Colorado

Aired February 20, 2004 - 08:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn now to the growing scandal involving the University of Colorado football program. Six women now claim they were raped by Colorado football players. Some dispute there over the numbers, though. The head coach has already been suspended. This morning on AMERICAN MORNING, a University of Colorado president, Elizabeth Hoffman, said Gary Barnett would remain on paid leave until those investigating the football program report in late April. She also talked about that investigation and did not rule out Barnett's return to the sidelines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH HOFFMAN, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO: We need to know whether there is a culture that promotes inappropriate relationships with women. We need to know whether there is a culture that promotes excessive drinking, the kinds of allegations that we have seen in the last couple of years. If we find that that is not a pervasive culture in the football program and the athletic department, it's perhaps isolated to a few individuals, then I believe he will be exonerated and he will be reinstated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The university president talking.

Scott Redmond is with us this morning. He's from Denver. He's a talk show host on KHOW Radio.

Nice to see you.

Thanks for being with us.

SCOTT REDMOND, TALK SHOW HOST, 630 KHOW, DENVER: Good morning, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Let's first start with the numbers. It's now to six women who have come forward with allegations of rape against C.U. football players, that number being from the -- since the year 2000.

First, what's the reaction been in the community, outside of the gates of the school, but in the community?

REDMOND: Well, Soledad, so many guys, you know, wonder, well, why didn't they come forward right away? Why did women wait?

As a guy, I can't possibly answer that question. But since there seems to be a feeling of real isolation when you go through something like this, it's almost as if the more company you feel like you have, the more willing you are to come forward. And that was the case with that place kicker, Katie Hnida, who's now at the University of New Mexico. She doesn't want money. She doesn't want anything except she wants the culture to changed.

O'BRIEN: So is the community shocked and outraged? Is the community waiting to see what happens with this investigation that the university president has talked about?

REDMOND: I think people pretty much assume that the allegations are accurate. I know that's not fair in our country because it presumes guilt before innocence, but there has apparently been so much evidence of this over time that there's no reason to believe that something like this doesn't happen. It probably happens a lot of other places, but that doesn't diminish the fact that it may have happened here and something should be done.

O'BRIEN: You actually had called for Coach Barnett to be fired even before he made those remarks about Katie Hnida...

REDMOND: Yes.

O'BRIEN: ... which was sort of what led to his being suspended with pay.

Why do you think he should have been removed earlier?

REDMOND: I just don't see him on the sidelines bringing any credibility to a major football program. And then, when he goes on this tirade of saying that well, you know, Katie was a girl, not only was she a girl, but she was also terrible, she was awful -- this was a very, very insensitive way to handle something. And I suggest that that reaction came from his heart, was instinctive. And then the very next day, he goes on after President Elizabeth Hoffman has her press conference and he goes on sort of another arrogant kind of tirade, to some degree.

It's almost as if, you know, this is what happened to Howard Dean when he got really angry after a -- or seemed to be angry after he lost that primary.

O'BRIEN: So are you saying that he should be fired because he's not showing leadership or he should be fired because he's angry and says insensitive things or because you think he has much more knowledge about these rapes and molestations that are being alleged than he has previously admitted? What part of that do you think should lead to his firing?

REDMOND: Soledad, I think that we're going to be really surprised if he didn't know anything, even if he turned his back on things. And I personally think he should be fired just because he shows total insensitivity to a situation. I don't think the guy knows how to handle it. And I don't think he should be fired just because he's been accused. I don't think he should be fired just because he maybe said something inappropriately. But he didn't even apologize for it. This guy has not shown any contrition whatsoever. And I think he's digging his own hole. He was on "Larry King Live" last night and he looked very sedate and he doesn't understand why people get this impression of him. He gets this impression of him -- people get this impression of him because of the way he is.

O'BRIEN: Scott Redmond joining us from KHOW in Denver.

Thanks for being with us.

Appreciate your insight.

REDMOND: Have a nice weekend.

O'BRIEN: Thanks.

Likewise.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired February 20, 2004 - 08:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn now to the growing scandal involving the University of Colorado football program. Six women now claim they were raped by Colorado football players. Some dispute there over the numbers, though. The head coach has already been suspended. This morning on AMERICAN MORNING, a University of Colorado president, Elizabeth Hoffman, said Gary Barnett would remain on paid leave until those investigating the football program report in late April. She also talked about that investigation and did not rule out Barnett's return to the sidelines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH HOFFMAN, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO: We need to know whether there is a culture that promotes inappropriate relationships with women. We need to know whether there is a culture that promotes excessive drinking, the kinds of allegations that we have seen in the last couple of years. If we find that that is not a pervasive culture in the football program and the athletic department, it's perhaps isolated to a few individuals, then I believe he will be exonerated and he will be reinstated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: The university president talking.

Scott Redmond is with us this morning. He's from Denver. He's a talk show host on KHOW Radio.

Nice to see you.

Thanks for being with us.

SCOTT REDMOND, TALK SHOW HOST, 630 KHOW, DENVER: Good morning, Soledad.

O'BRIEN: Let's first start with the numbers. It's now to six women who have come forward with allegations of rape against C.U. football players, that number being from the -- since the year 2000.

First, what's the reaction been in the community, outside of the gates of the school, but in the community?

REDMOND: Well, Soledad, so many guys, you know, wonder, well, why didn't they come forward right away? Why did women wait?

As a guy, I can't possibly answer that question. But since there seems to be a feeling of real isolation when you go through something like this, it's almost as if the more company you feel like you have, the more willing you are to come forward. And that was the case with that place kicker, Katie Hnida, who's now at the University of New Mexico. She doesn't want money. She doesn't want anything except she wants the culture to changed.

O'BRIEN: So is the community shocked and outraged? Is the community waiting to see what happens with this investigation that the university president has talked about?

REDMOND: I think people pretty much assume that the allegations are accurate. I know that's not fair in our country because it presumes guilt before innocence, but there has apparently been so much evidence of this over time that there's no reason to believe that something like this doesn't happen. It probably happens a lot of other places, but that doesn't diminish the fact that it may have happened here and something should be done.

O'BRIEN: You actually had called for Coach Barnett to be fired even before he made those remarks about Katie Hnida...

REDMOND: Yes.

O'BRIEN: ... which was sort of what led to his being suspended with pay.

Why do you think he should have been removed earlier?

REDMOND: I just don't see him on the sidelines bringing any credibility to a major football program. And then, when he goes on this tirade of saying that well, you know, Katie was a girl, not only was she a girl, but she was also terrible, she was awful -- this was a very, very insensitive way to handle something. And I suggest that that reaction came from his heart, was instinctive. And then the very next day, he goes on after President Elizabeth Hoffman has her press conference and he goes on sort of another arrogant kind of tirade, to some degree.

It's almost as if, you know, this is what happened to Howard Dean when he got really angry after a -- or seemed to be angry after he lost that primary.

O'BRIEN: So are you saying that he should be fired because he's not showing leadership or he should be fired because he's angry and says insensitive things or because you think he has much more knowledge about these rapes and molestations that are being alleged than he has previously admitted? What part of that do you think should lead to his firing?

REDMOND: Soledad, I think that we're going to be really surprised if he didn't know anything, even if he turned his back on things. And I personally think he should be fired just because he shows total insensitivity to a situation. I don't think the guy knows how to handle it. And I don't think he should be fired just because he's been accused. I don't think he should be fired just because he maybe said something inappropriately. But he didn't even apologize for it. This guy has not shown any contrition whatsoever. And I think he's digging his own hole. He was on "Larry King Live" last night and he looked very sedate and he doesn't understand why people get this impression of him. He gets this impression of him -- people get this impression of him because of the way he is.

O'BRIEN: Scott Redmond joining us from KHOW in Denver.

Thanks for being with us.

Appreciate your insight.

REDMOND: Have a nice weekend.

O'BRIEN: Thanks.

Likewise.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com