Pokey Chapman, LSU’s women’s basketball coach, has suddenly resigned. Originally she was going to finish out the season, but now she is done for good. The rumor mill is in full swing and the word on the street is that Pokey was intimate with some of her players. Putting “####” bashing aside for a minute, I have two problems with this whole scenario.
One, coaches and players should not be sexually intimate be it heterosexually or homosexually. If this were a professor at the college what would happen to him? Would there be outrage among his peers or from the university?
Second, if this had been U Conn’s coach, Geno Auriemma, sleeping with his players I think he would be fired and their would be outrage from a vast array of organizations including NOW. But because this involves a relationship between two women, I believe the GLAD group will take up for her. I also think that you will hear very little about this from the university.
In my opinion, instead of sweeping this under the rug, LSU should treat this situation the same way they would if it was a male coach sleeping or harassing his secretary. And make no mistake, this could fall into a sexual harassment situation. A coach has power of his or her players. The new definitions of sexual harassment have opened up a whole new arena for lawsuits.
Remember a few years back when Bob Knight was accused of some sexual harassment and let’s not forget Clem Haskins at University of Minnesota. Haskins was fired. LSU does not need a parent of one of these players suing them for misconduct. They need to fire Pokey Chapman and do so immediately. Don’t think for one minute that AD Skip Bertman does not already know what has happened.
There is a double standard when men do something wrong with the opposite sex and I for one think it is unfair. My mom always taught me, “If it’s good for the goose, it’s good for the gander.” Treat this situation the same.
i wonder if LSU gave her the option to resign rather than face public humiliation and all the questions surrounding her being fired.
you're absolutely right. if it was a male coach having intimate contact with female players, there would be an uproar over it, and he'd be fired and perhaps never work again, whether it was consensual or not.
it's similar to when a male teacher is caught sleeping with, or having inappropriate contact with a female in high school. he faces criminal charges, get fired, etc. but when a female teacher does the same with a male student, it usually goes away without any charges, although she likely would lose her job (which isnt that big of a deal, considering she'd get on the talk show circuit and become a celebrity).
They'll probably make a hero out of her. There of course will be a best-selling book followed by a heart-felt movie about the complexities of modern love. Crazy world isn't it
Look at all of the female teachers who have gotten off of the hook and their male counterparts who have been put in prison. It is not right that she get special treatment, but thay have given it to her. There should be no interaction period. Regardless of gender. There are boundries between coach/player or techer/student and they need to be strictly adheared to.
kjk- i think when this incident happened, the player was part of the team. past or present, i dont think that should matter.
that's like saying a professor shouldnt be held accountable for a relationship he had with a student 10 years ago. most (if not all) universities have strict policies against relationships by faculty or other employees and students. it was wrong when it happened, and not holding them accountable only makes them think it's ok to do it again.
Socal ...... When I first heard of the story I was unsure what to think. But I do believe that Chapman should've known what this would've led to ! This isn't something that you can carry on clandestinely without someone finding out. More's to the fact that even if GLAAD does take up on her behalf what can they do really do about it ? More likely than not there's something in her contract that covers her behavior in terms of a morality clause.
rampant/tophatal...... !
Last edited by rampantfanatic on March 9th at 12:27 PM.
Couldn't agree with ya more Socal. Sexual harassment works both ways, or at least it should. Pokey is gone, no longer at LSU. I will listen to the local sports radio to see if anything new comes of this story and report back to you or on my blog if anything new comes up.
Having sex with your coach is like having sex with your mother or father, and vice versa. Pokey's actions were di####able, and she deserved to get fired. The way things went down makes me feel that, had she not resigned, she would've been fired anyway. If GLAAD wants to take up her cause, then let them do it, but it doesn't change the fact that sexual contact between a player and a coach is never appropriate behavior.
Thanks for all the comments guys. As for Pokey, my understanding is she has not been fired yet, but she resigned. There is a vast difference in how one is perceived in the market place although the end result is she is gone.
As for sexual harassment vs concensual sex, in the work place and in a school setting the coach/doctor/supervisor has an added responsibility because the subordinate can feel pressure to perform. This can be called sexual harassment should the player ever come out and say I felt I had to have sex in order to start on the team or to keep my scholarship.
Chapman's own stupidity brought about her demise. It's not as if she didn't know what she was doing. Besides is she that naive to think that word wouldn't have 'gotten around. Let's put it this way there's a way one ought to conduct one's self when teaching , coacing or out in public. And then there's a way you conduct yourself in the privacy of your own home. Most people know which is appropriate for them. Unfortunately for Chapman she thought differently. For Auriemma it wouldn't and shouldn't be any different. Although some of us males would probably be admiring him if were nailin' one of his female basketball students. But consider this if it were your sister or niece would you still be smiling knowing what went on ?
Well, I am assuming you are a man. Men having sexual relations with their female students or team players goes on every day - so much, in fact, that we don't hear about even a quarter of the cases.
It happened at my middle and high schools, both with classroom teachers and coaches, and also at my university. Believe me, people knew, but because it was these cases involved men as the perpetrators, it was accepted and considered even natural. Of course, people would say, "It is the woman's choice; she knows what she is doing."
I agree that this kind of behavior is unacceptable no matter who is involved, be it a #### or heterosexual relationship. It is just unhealthy and inappropriate.
As a woman, I know that men are all too blind to how often this goes on. Believe me, the majority of the time it is the man who is in the position of power.
Of course we are going to hear about this case with Pokey; lesbians are exciting and seldom talked about in the news. As far as the men sleeping with their female students go, well, this happens every day. It's old hat. We can't keep up with the incidents.
SEC fan, Colts fan, and Braves fan. Long time Lakers fan, but have to pull for Riley and the Heat along with Shaq. Moved to sunny San Diego from TN and love the weather. I write about everything except NHL. I enjoy watching just about every sport except "cricket" and "poker". Of course if they ever add cheerleaders to poker, I might re-evaluate my stance.
Pokey Chapman, LSU’s women’s basketball coach, has suddenly resigned. Originally she was going to finish out the season, but now she is done for good. The rumor mill is in full swing and the word on the street is that Pokey was intimate with some of her players. Putting “
Second, if this had been U Conn’s coach, Geno Auriemma, sleeping with his players I think he would be fired and their would be outrage from a vast array of organizations including NOW. But because this involves a relationship between two women, I believe the GLAD group will take up for her. I also think that you will hear very little about this from the university. 
