Further Allegations Against Columbia Women's Basketball Coach Megan Griffith Surface

Fifteen former Columbia student-athletes have asked the university to take further action against head coach Megan Griffith, who was suspended for the first three games of this season for “interactions with the team that did not align with expectations,” The Athletic reported Thursday.

The latest complaint, submitted to Columbia president Jennifer Mnookin in September, includes statements from five additional former players who were part of the program dating back to Griffith’s first year leading the team in 2016. The Athletic also detailed an allegation brought against the coach in 2019 that a university investigation determined to be unfounded.

“Following a thorough external review by the University, Columbia Women’s Basketball Head Coach Megan Griffith served a suspension for the first three games of the season. The review did not require notice to the NCAA of any rules violations and did not involve any allegations of violations of the University’s Anti-Discrimination policies, Title IX or related policies,” a university spokesperson said in a statement.

The university also said that Griffith is receiving additional coaching mentoring and oversight. Before the article was published, Griffith released a statement to The Athletic addressing the situation.

Further Allegations Against Columbia Women's Basketball Coach Megan Griffith Surface

“I fully respect the process of the University review and take complete responsibility for everything that happens in the program, including the times my conduct fell short. As the Head Coach and a former student-athlete at Columbia University, there is nothing more important to me than the success and well-being of my players,” said Megan Griffith, Columbia Women’s Basketball Head Coach.

Ivy Hoops Online sought comment from Mnookin and athletics director Peter Pilling, but a university official stated there would be no follow-up statements. The former players, who were said to request anonymity because of fear of retaliation, described to The Athletic “a culture of emotional and psychological abuse, the mistreatment of injured players, and the utter disregard for athletes’ mental health.”

Their allegations detailed “postgame tirades” in which the coach singled players out, kicked them out of practice and the locker room and used demeaning language towards them, as well as the creation of a culture of verbal abuse, bullying and manipulation and athletes feeling pressured to play through injuries and prioritize training over recovery.

External Review and Institutional Response

The external review was conducted by Washington, D.C.-based law firm Dunn Isaacson Rhee LLP after the university received the complaint about Griffith’s coaching behavior. Danielle Conley, a partner in the firm who previously served as deputy White House counsel in the Biden administration and associate deputy attorney general at the DOJ during the Obama administration, led the investigative team.

Conley’s team spoke to almost 50 individuals associated with the program, including many former players. In a statement reported by The Athletic, the athletes expressed concern regarding the lack of transparency surrounding the investigation, its findings, and its conclusions.

Griffith is Columbia’s all-time winningest coach through her 11-year tenure and the architect of a program that went from among the nation’s worst to one consistently in the mix for an NCAA Tournament bid. She continues to retain the support of many devoted current and former players.

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“One thing I’m going to say about her [Griffith] and about our entire coaching staff is they love us so much. Yes, they push us, we push each other, but they love us so much, and I think even having her back today, we felt that love the entire time,” said senior guard and co-captain Fliss Henderson, who told the assembled media following an 81-58 Columbia loss Thursday at No. 2 Michigan.

“Division I basketball is hard, I’m putting it out there, but you’re in the game and it’s tough. We’re fighting, all 14 of us we’re fighting, but we feel the love from them [the coaches] the whole time,” Henderson told the assembled media.

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