Hofstra Pride Took Beauty Queen for a Ride

[jimbo65]

According to today's NY Post, Lauren Summa, assistant athletic manager and former Miss Teen Pennsylvania beauty queen, was harassed by members of the fball team. Their actions allegedly included locking her in the bus bathroom, screaming to see her "boobies" and demanding sex. She says she brought these matters to Coach Cohen who advised her that these actions were not serious and would only bring unneeded attention to the program. When she made a formal complaint, she was fired. The courts will decide how much, if any, of the $1,000,000 suit she will get. Unless it is a fabrication, my guess is a pre-trial settlement for $250,000.

For you Blue Hens, the bus trip was to play Delaware. How did the "Pride" perform that day. They likely left their best game on the bus.xlolx

[schmofstra]

Ugh.

[andy7171]

Any female, or anyone for that matter, that goes to the back of the bus is asking for something to happen.

[UAalum72]

Any female, or anyone for that matter, that goes to the back of the bus is asking for something to happen.
So where SHOULD she go to the bathroom?

[FCS Preview]

Link:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01302008/news/regionalnews/team_sex_rage_230092.htm

[Touchdown Yosef]

She is going to get paid. I'll be interested to see how the football program handles this after the law suit though. If the accounts are true I would expect to see the players involved kicked off the team. The coach may also need to take some blame as it seems to me he horribly misshandled the situation. I would think with enough media attention people could be calling for his job.

[schmofstra]

Well, Isaiah Thomas still has his job over there in Manhattan.

[FCS Preview]

Is Miss Teen Pennsylvania different from Miss Pennsylvania Teen?

Because Lauren Summa never won the Miss Pennsylvania Teen contest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Pennsylvania_Teen_USA

[jimbo65]

Link:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01302008/news/regionalnews/team_sex_rage_230092.htm
Thanks for posting the link. I do not know how to do that.

[downbythebeach]

Is Miss Teen Pennsylvania different from Miss Pennsylvania Teen?

Because Lauren Summa never won the Miss Pennsylvania Teen contest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Pennsylvania_Teen_USA

I knew a girl that used to do pageants, there are bunch with practically the same name

[downbythebeach]

Any female, or anyone for that matter, that goes to the back of the bus is asking for something to happen.

I disagree, a lot of teams have female managers, but this seems to be an isolated incident.

[andy7171]

She is going to get paid. I'll be interested to see how the football program handles this after the law suit though. If the accounts are true I would expect to see the players involved kicked off the team. The coach may also need to take some blame as it seems to me he horribly misshandled the situation. I would think with enough media attention people could be calling for his job.

I can't think of anything LAMER than getting kicked off the team of losing your job over someone asking to see her BOOBIES. Who even says BOOBIES north of the 4th grade? Ms. Summa needs to lighten up a bit. xrolleyesx

Besides the fact, Schmofrsta and Uncle Buck will tell you, this article is the most media attention Hofstra football will get all year, no one is going to get all rowdy and call for his job.

[schmofstra]

Our friend andy is certainly correct on that last point about the lack of media coverage.

[Touchdown Yosef]

I can't think of anything LAMER than getting kicked off the team of losing your job over someone asking to see her BOOBIES. Who even says BOOBIES north of the 4th grade? Ms. Summa needs to lighten up a bit. xrolleyesx

Besides the fact, Schmofrsta and Uncle Buck will tell you, this article is the most media attention Hofstra football will get all year, no one is going to get all rowdy and call for his job.


From the article there seems to be more that happened other than someone asking to see her "boobies"

asking her to have sex with him on the bus, in front of the other players.

demanding sex and locking her in a bus bathroom

I think the players involved should most definately be kicked off the team. They displayed unacceptable behavior and probably cost the school a large sum of money. The coach also helped this by not taking the situation seriously and basicly condoning this type of behavior. The girl does not need to lighten up, I hope she wins her lawsuit. Based on the article this seems a very open and shut case of sexual harrassment and then on top of it all she lost her job for filing a complaint.

As a donor to my football program I would pull my donation if nothing was done to stop this type of behavior and I would hope that others would have the same oppinion. It would be one thing if this happened outside of school but it happened on the team bus.

I wouldn't neccasarily want my daughter or sister working that closely with the football team but if she did I would expect her to be treated professionally and with the respect she deserves. This girl did not get that from the players or coaches. Perhaps instead of watching racy movies on the way to games they should be studying film.

[Seahawks Fan]

I agree with Yosef on this. These kind of things are no longer swept under the rug. Hofstra will probably settle out of court and there will be disciplinary actions. Remains to be seen how severe.

[andy7171]

Our friend andy is certainly correct on that last point about the lack of media coverage.
We get the same coverage down here in Baltimore. :D


From the article there seems to be more that happened other than someone asking to see her "boobies"

asking her to have sex with him on the bus, in front of the other players.

demanding sex and locking her in a bus bathroom

I think the players involved should most definately be kicked off the team. They displayed unacceptable behavior and probably cost the school a large sum of money. The coach also helped this by not taking the situation seriously and basicly condoning this type of behavior. The girl does not need to lighten up, I hope she wins her lawsuit. Based on the article this seems a very open and shut case of sexual harrassment and then on top of it all she lost her job for filing a complaint.

As a donor to my football program I would pull my donation if nothing was done to stop this type of behavior and I would hope that others would have the same oppinion. It would be one thing if this happened outside of school but it happened on the team bus.

I wouldn't neccasarily want my daughter or sister working that closely with the football team but if she did I would expect her to be treated professionally and with the respect she deserves. This girl did not get that from the players or coaches. Perhaps instead of watching racy movies on the way to games they should be studying film.

Seriously, how do you get locked in a bus bathroom? I'm not saying what they did was right, but have you ever been around a large group of 18-21 year old football players on a long boring bus ride? Lets just say I wouldn't call the behavior professional or respectful, and I would recommend a gas mask :D . Some people just need to lighten up. These kids do occasionally do stupid things without thinking.
If she was so pissed or insulted, she should have raised holy he11 on the bus and made a big deal out of it.
Bottom line, they may have said some lewd, borderline comically dumb things and held the bathroom door shut for awhile. They didn't touch her or force her to do anything. The only line that was crossed was stupidity and poor taste, that shouldn't get you kicked off the team.

[Seahawks Fan]

Haven't people lost their jobs recently because of stupidity and poor taste? xnodx

[jimbo65]

We get the same coverage down here in Baltimore. :D



Seriously, how do you get locked in a bus bathroom? .

Guess it depends on which way the door opens. We once locked our boss in a Porto-San at the Co. golf torney by backing his cart up to the door which opened outwards.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The problem isn't really with the players, who (granted) tap-danced on the line with their comments. I'm not sure I believe some of her charges that say that players were soliciting sex and asking to see her ... They sound trumped-up and misinterpreted.

What is a major problem for Cohen and the Hofstra FB program is this:


Summa reported the behavior to Hofstra football coach David Cohen, the suit states, but he told her the incident was "not serious" and would only draw unneeded attention to the football program.

The behavior may have been sophomoric by the players, but it was clear that Ms. Summa was hurt and felt harassed. If true that the coach pooh-poohed the incidents, that could be bad news.

Having said all that, everything about this is he said, she said.

[andy7171]

Guess it depends on which way the door opens. We once locked our boss in a Porto-San at the Co. golf torney by backing his cart up to the door which opened outwards.

Well if I was a stock payer for your company, I'd stop payment until you and your co-workers were fired for embarrassing my employee publically! xrolleyesx

Now seriously I'm saying if I were the coach I would discipline them for their actions, if true, it was wrong. I'd make them run extra gassers for a couple weeks. But I would be equally pissed, if not more, that this happened on the trip TO the game and not afterward coming home. That's just a lack of focus.

And no way a movie like that gets shown. I mean we watched Alladin on a trip up to Buffalo!

[Touchdown Yosef]

We get the same coverage down here in Baltimore. :D



Seriously, how do you get locked in a bus bathroom? I'm not saying what they did was right, but have you ever been around a large group of 18-21 year old football players on a long boring bus ride? Lets just say I wouldn't call the behavior professional or respectful, and I would recommend a gas mask :D . Some people just need to lighten up. These kids do occasionally do stupid things without thinking.
If she was so pissed or insulted, she should have raised holy he11 on the bus and made a big deal out of it.
Bottom line, they may have said some lewd, borderline comically dumb things and held the bathroom door shut for awhile. They didn't touch her or force her to do anything. The only line that was crossed was stupidity and poor taste, that shouldn't get you kicked off the team.

I don't know how you would get locked into a bus bathroom. If the door opens out I can't imagine it would take much from a Division 1 college football player to hold a door closed on a 120lb girl.

Yes I have been around a group of 18-21 year olds on a long borring bus ride and I know that dumb decissions can be made. But dumb decissions and behavior excuses nothing. There are plenty of situations that people do need to lighten up about every day, sueing over hot coffee and such, but not sexual harrassment.

She did not need to raise "holy He11" right then and it was obviously not in her best interest to do so when the authority on the bus won't take you seriously. People all respond to situations differently, that is why rape victems have something like a ten year window to bring charges forward. Just because she was not touched and raped does not mean that lines were not crossed and disiplinary action should be taken.

Stupidity and poor taste can be enough to land you in jail, it can certainly get you kicked off a football team.

[GannonFan]

Come on guys, these aren't 12 and 13 year olds, these are supposed to be young adults and they should know better than this. There's no excuse for locking a person in the bathroom, soliciting her for sex, or degrading her in other ways. I don't have a daughter but I'd be pretty irate if this happened to her. The players shouldn't get any "well, boys will be boys" excuse for this - it was over the line, they should've known better, and if there are repercussions then they don't have anyone to blame but themselves. And obviously the coaches should know better that once someone says they feel threatened and harrassed that it is serious and it needs to be handled seriously. Heck, I'm sure they've had enough harrassment training to know this. Dumb move on their part.

[Eight Legger]

Agree 100% with Gannon. The fact we even have to debate whether this was a misunderstanding, whether someone should lighten up or not, etc. is amazing to me. You have to believe the woman until it is proven otherwise. And don't try to shrug off this kind of behavior as the norm, or something that should be expected. Give me a break. If it happened, it's sexual harassment. Period. And someone will pay the price for what happened.

[Touchdown Yosef]

Well if I was a stock payer for your company, I'd stop payment until you and your co-workers were fired for embarrassing my employee publically! xrolleyesx

Now seriously I'm saying if I were the coach I would discipline them for their actions, if true, it was wrong. I'd make them run extra gassers for a couple weeks. But I would be equally pissed, if not more, that this happened on the trip TO the game and not afterward coming home. That's just a lack of focus.

And no way a movie like that gets shown. I mean we watched Alladin on a trip up to Buffalo!

The fact that you are more upset that is happened on the way to a game than on the way home rather than be upset it happened at all says a lot. And the incident with the co-workers didn't involve anyone demanding sex from the trapped gentleman.

[Seahawks Fan]

Stupidity and poor taste can be enough to land you in jail, it can certainly get you kicked off a football team.


I agree. Unless the young lady is lieing, there will be repercussions.

[WMTribe90]

Come on guys, these aren't 12 and 13 year olds, these are supposed to be young adults and they should know better than this. There's no excuse for locking a person in the bathroom, soliciting her for sex, or degrading her in other ways. I don't have a daughter but I'd be pretty irate if this happened to her. The players shouldn't get any "well, boys will be boys" excuse for this - it was over the line, they should've known better, and if there are repercussions then they don't have anyone to blame but themselves. And obviously the coaches should know better that once someone says they feel threatened and harrassed that it is serious and it needs to be handled seriously. Heck, I'm sure they've had enough harrassment training to know this. Dumb move on their part.

Sums up my view on this alleged incident. No excuse for this type of behavior and worse that the coach didn't address it immediately at the time.

[andy7171]

True the fact that my players were F'ing off on the trip to a game would piss me off, whether it be breaking a window, not allowing someone out of the bathroom, fighting, throwing food, or saying "We want to see you boobies" under your breath.

[schmofstra]

From my experience, it's impossible to glean the an accurate picture of the truth from language in a civil lawsuit. And the same goes, unfortunately, for the university's response.

The female employ of the athletic department deserves to be treated with respect by the student-athletes, by her coworkers at the university and by her superiors in the athletics department.

Whenever a boss receives a complaint like this, to me, the mandatory first step is to counsel the employee that she doesn't deserve this type of behavior and to promise to investigate it. Any seemingly innocuous "dumb" incident like this would certainly at least be a wake-up call -- or to put it more kindly, one of those "teachable moments" -- that requires the coaches to sit down with these young guys and explain what behavior is appropriate when you're representing your school and your football program. The coaches would be doing them a favor to help them be ahead of the curve in these types of workplace situations later in life.

Let's hope the coaches did that. We may never find out.

And for God's sake, let's hope that this had nothing to do with her losing her job.

If this ever happens in the future, I bet the coaches now know to take it seriously. Every campus now has somebody who's an expert in sexual harassment counseling, etc. So the coaches can just pass the buck to a professional.

I wonder if anyone here is old enough, like me, to remember the days when football coaches wouldn't let any females on the bus with the players. I remember one coach who got sick of the cheerleaders riding the bus with the players that he forced the administration to get a separate bus for them. Obviously it's a little different when the woman is one of your equipment managers.

[D1scout]

Any female, or anyone for that matter, that goes to the back of the bus is asking for something to happen.

First of all,I can't believe anyone could make a serious statement like this.xeekx That's like saying if she dresses sexy she deserves to be raped.xnonox Secondly, if anywhere, college students with their intellect and, in particularly athletes, should know how to treat others with respect. Furthermore, if this incident is accurate, most would consider it is a black mark on a fine institution and action should be taken by the coach to remendy the situation so it doesn't occur in the future.xmadx

[andy7171]

I must be the only one who read that she was the girlfriend of a player on the team. She knew all these guys personally or socially or just by aquaintance. The fact that her boyfriend didn't stand up and do something leaves to to go in one of two directions, 1- he assumed she was OK with the low brow comments, or 2- he was the kicker.

It's not like this was her first day, it was mid season she had been intimately close with the team through summer camp in the first part of the season. There is some familiaritiy that you guys are over looking.


First of all,I can't believe anyone could make a serious statement like this.xeekx That's like saying if she dresses sexy she deserves to be raped.xnonox Secondly, if anywhere, college students with their intellect and, in particularly athletes, should know how to treat others with respect. Furthermore, if this incident is accurate, most would consider it is a black mark on a fine institution and action should be taken by the coach to remendy the situation so it doesn't occur in the future.xmadx

Looking back I hadn't even considered that she had to go to the bathroom. I concede to this point. I was wrong to say it. xpeacex

[Cobblestone]

I wonder if anyone here is old enough, like me, to remember the days when football coaches wouldn't let any females on the bus with the players. I remember one coach who got sick of the cheerleaders riding the bus with the players that he forced the administration to get a separate bus for them. Obviously it's a little different when the woman is one of your equipment managers.

I'm old enough to remember that. I can also recall riding the bus with female equipment managers without incident.

During my military career one of my assignments was to teach at an NCO Academy. I taught a wide variety of courses such as troop leading procedures, convoy command, effective writing and physical training just to name a few. I always taught these courses in great detail and according to Army standards. When it came time to teach a block of instruction on sexual harassment I was pretty lost. I basically told my class "treat every female in the Army as you would like to see you mother treated and you won't have any problems, got it? class dismissed". It was the quickest class I ever gave and forgive me if it sounds too simplistic but conducting yourself in such a manner would help eliminate a great deal of problems such as what this young lady is alleging.

[AZGrizFan]

This whole thing sheds some light on why Hofstra so overwhelmingly underperformed all season. xnodx xnodx xnodx xnodx

[andy7171]

This whole thing sheds some light on why Hofstra so overwhelmingly underperformed all season. xnodx xnodx xnodx xnodx

They talk a good game, but can't back it up?
:D

[schmofstra]

When I first moved here (Hempstead) I was really surprised at how low the attendance is at Hofstra football games. Last year's UMass game was basically Hofstra's equivalent of a playoff game and UMass has almost as many fans as the home team. It looked like only about 2,000 people (though I think the official attendance figure was higher, of course). I realize the Pride's season had already passed the point of disappointment and UMass was headed to the national tourney. It was also quite cold that day, but still.

It sure would be nice to see that big stadium full of Subdivision fans sometime, but these New Yorkers just won't settle for "minor league" anything. That also helps to explain why there is so little media coverage of Pride football. Yet, NYC is a I-AA town! One of our friends from over at Lehigh once suggested a "Mayor Bloomberg Trophy" to be fought out by Columbia, Fordham and Wagner every year. Envision, if you will, a conference consisting of those three NYC teams plus Hofstra, Stony Brook, Iona and maybe someone like Marist and Monmouth. Sighhhhh.

[OLPOP]

There is the Liberty Cup contested between Fordham and Columbia annually. N.Y.ers will come out to watch a big game. Holy Cross at Fordham drew 8300 on a cold and rainy day last fall.

[andy7171]

When I first moved here (Hempstead) I was really surprised at how low the attendance is at Hofstra football games. Last year's UMass game was basically Hofstra's equivalent of a playoff game and UMass has almost as many fans as the home team. It looked like only about 2,000 people (though I think the official attendance figure was higher, of course). I realize the Pride's season had already passed the point of disappointment and UMass was headed to the national tourney. It was also quite cold that day, but still.

It sure would be nice to see that big stadium full of Subdivision fans sometime, but these New Yorkers just won't settle for "minor league" anything. That also helps to explain why there is so little media coverage of Pride football. Yet, NYC is a I-AA town! One of our friends from over at Lehigh once suggested a "Mayor Bloomberg Trophy" to be fought out by Columbia, Fordham and Wagner every year. Envision, if you will, a conference consisting of those three NYC teams plus Hofstra, Stony Brook, Iona and maybe someone like Marist and Monmouth. Sighhhhh.

I like the sound of that league!

[Seahawks Fan]

I like the sound of that league!

Me too. xnodx

[bluehenbillk]

LFN hit the nail on the head.

The biggest issue in this whole thing is did Cohen try to get the girl to not report it. For anyone around the Philly area remember the name Billy Hahn, HC for hoops at Lasalle. He and the womens hoops coach were fired for the same thing.

The Cleary Act was put into effect for just this reason, if you'd have a daughter looking to goto college you know what that is.

This is a big watchdog group, that is based close by - the Lehigh Valley.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out and if the curtain falls on the Cohen era.

[Seawolf97]

LFN hit the nail on the head.

The biggest issue in this whole thing is did Cohen try to get the girl to not report it. For anyone around the Philly area remember the name Billy Hahn, HC for hoops at Lasalle. He and the womens hoops coach were fired for the same thing.

The Cleary Act was put into effect for just this reason, if you'd have a daughter looking to goto college you know what that is.

This is a big watchdog group, that is based close by - the Lehigh Valley.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out and if the curtain falls on the Cohen era.

This is New York State and the laws are pretty straightforward about harrassment in the workplace which this bus was. Not a pleasant situation for the Pride or their coach. Hopefully there is alot fabrication in this by the media.

[YoUDeeMan]

When it came time to teach a block of instruction on sexual harassment I was pretty lost. I basically told my class "treat every female in the Army as you would like to see you mother treated and you won't have any problems, got it? class dismissed". It was the quickest class I ever gave and forgive me if it sounds too simplistic but conducting yourself in such a manner would help eliminate a great deal of problems such as what this young lady is alleging.

xthumbsupx

Simple, but effective. xnodx

As far as whether her story is believable, it appears as though at least one important group might be taking her seriously:

"Summa contends she was booted from the football job for filing complaints, and a probe by the state Division of Human Rights backed her up on the alleged retaliation."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/01/30/2008-01-30_former_hofstra_athletic_manager_says_foo.html

[FCS Preview]

It sure would be nice to see that big stadium full of Subdivision fans sometime, but these New Yorkers just won't settle for "minor league" anything...

Then explain the phenomenal success of the Long Island Ducks

[mvemjsunpx]

The fact that her boyfriend didn't stand up and do something leaves to to go in one of two directions, 1- he assumed she was OK with the low brow comments, or 2- he was the kicker.


Don't football teams usually require multiple buses? The boyfriend might have been on the other bus.


AZGrizFan

This whole thing sheds some light on why Hofstra so overwhelmingly underperformed all season.

Wait, didn't Hofstra overacheive in 2007? Though they collapsed down the stretch, they went from 2-9 in '06 to 7-4 this past year.

(If you were joking, than please excuse my hypercorrectiveness)

[Seahawks Fan]

This story was all over the local news last night in NYC.

[Touchdown Yosef]

This story was all over the local news last night in NYC.

Really? You mean they aren't tell her "lighten up"? I would imagine the is just the kind of attention that the coach didn't want when he told the poor girl not to report the incident.

[andy7171]

I read the comments made were the players reactions in reference to the coach turning off the movie just before the sex scene, and not directed toward Summa personally. I'll try and find that article.

[GannonFan]

I read the comments made were the players reactions in reference to the coach turning off the movie just before the sex scene, and not directed toward Summa personally. I'll try and find that article.

Come on, dude, that doesn't make it any better. The law's pretty clear on these things, and I'm pretty sure just the fact that they're showing porn on the Hofstra team bus is an issue as well. Hostile environment. And if she told the coaches she felt intimidated and they didn't do anything about it (or even worse told her not to tell anyone) then they're in really deep trouble. This ain't the 1980's anymore, times have changed.

[andy7171]

Come on, dude, that doesn't make it any better. The law's pretty clear on these things, and I'm pretty sure just the fact that they're showing porn on the Hofstra team bus is an issue as well. Hostile environment. And if she told the coaches she felt intimidated and they didn't do anything about it (or even worse told her not to tell anyone) then they're in really deep trouble. This ain't the 1980's anymore, times have changed.

Shadowboxer stars Cuba Gooding Jr, it's hardly a porno movie. xrolleyesx

[GannonFan]

Shadowboxer stars Cuba Gooding Jr, it's hardly a porno movie. xrolleyesx


Eh, try showing a movie in your place of business with nudity and sex scenes and see how that goes over. xwhistlex

[andy7171]

Someone early on said this was on a trip to Delaware. Hofstra didn't play Delaware last year. Is this story a couple years old?

[FCS Preview]

Someone early on said this was on a trip to Delaware. Hofstra didn't play Delaware last year. Is this story a couple years old?

Had to be 2006 then

HU @ Del, 10/14/06
HU @ UMass, 11/18/06

[andy7171]

Guess the job seach isn't working out as well as she had planned?

[GannonFan]

Guess the job seach isn't working out as well as she had planned?

Geez, it wasn't that long ago - she got fired in Spring of 2007 and it said in an article that an offer to work at Hofstra in a different area was rescinded (no date specified) - it's only January of '08, not exactly a huge gap of time.

[CSN Log]

Former Hofstra Employee Charges Harrassment

A former Hofstra athletic manager says football team harassed her on the bus ride to Delaware in 2006.
A former athletic manager for Hofstra University’s football squad claims she was sexually harassed by jocks who engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct on the team bus.
Read more ... (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=former-hofstra-employee-charges-harrassm&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more417)

[Uncle Buck]

A lot of details yet to come out.

[andy7171]

Former Hofstra Employee Charges Harrassment

A former Hofstra athletic manager says football team harassed her on the bus ride to Delaware in 2006.
A former athletic manager for Hofstra University’s football squad claims she was sexually harassed by jocks who engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct on the team bus.
Read more ... (http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/?title=former-hofstra-employee-charges-harrassm&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more417)

Thank you powers that be.

[FCS Preview]

There is a multiple page thread on this topic. Can you please look for other threads before blindly posting you "breaking news"? xrolleyesx

http://www.anygivensaturday.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36826
xlolx

[Seawolf97]

A lot of details yet to come out.

Have to agree-so far just he said , she said allegations

[Uncle Buck]

Not saying the "boobie" call is appropriate, but there are alot of details we haven't heard yet. I think pornographic is used too loosely as the movie was certainly not. Having been on many bus rides, video controls are up near the coaches and anything with questionable content was never played. I find it hard to believe that Cohen has allowed his coaching staff to change that much from the Gardi days on the bus.

I think people will find that the young lady blew and the media blew this thing up beyond where it should be.

[GreatAppSt]

I

[GannonFan]

Time will tell.