Idaho officials warned about Gonzalez in '22
The parent of a University of Idaho volleyball team starter detailed how Vandals head coach Chris Gonzalez had “created an extremely negative culture and hostile environment” in a 1,300-word letter to Idaho athletic director Terry Gawlik in December 2022.
Hans Doorn, father of Idaho setter Kate Doorn, said he received only a “generic” response from Gawlik to the letter in which university president C. Scott Green was also copied on. Gonzalez continued to bully and physically, verbally and emotionally abuse Vandals players through the 2023 season, according to 12 current or former Idaho players, five parents and two university employees. Gonzalez also allegedly pushed or shoved two players to the ground during practices in 2022 and improperly touched athletes, according to player interviews and university documents.
While Gonzalez continued an alleged pattern of abusive behavior that also included body shaming, depriving players of food and pressuring players to play or practice while hurt during the 2023 season, the Doorn letter shows that Gawlik and Green and other Idaho officials had notice of detailed examples of Gonzalez's alleged abusive behavior.
“Chris Gonzalez has demonstrated abusive verbal behavior and created an extremely negative culture and hostile environment,” Doorn wrote in the Dec. 5, 2022, letter to Gawlik in which Matt Brewer, associate AD for compliance and Brian Wolf, the school's faculty athletic representative, were also copied. “I am concerned about my daughter Kate's mental health, and that of the entire women's volleyball team. I am directing this note to Ms. Gawlik not only as the Athletic Director who oversees the athletic program, but as the Senior Women Administrator. These young female athletes need an advocate to help, provide advice, mentor, and to listen to their story of this volleyball season.”
But Gawlik and university officials have not listened according to Doorn, former and current Idaho players, other parents and university employees.
“We were very frustrated,” Doorn said in an interview Friday.
The revealing of the Doorn letter comes less than 24 hours after 10 current Idaho team members formally asked Green and Gawlik to place Gonzalez and the coaching staff on leave until a school investigation into abuse allegations against Gonzalez is completed.
Players and their parents have also alleged that Gawlik and other university officials have repeatedly ignored or dismissed their complaints or concerns over the past 17 months.
Gawlik and a university spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
Gawlik is scheduled to meet with Idaho players on Tuesday. It will be the first time Gawlick has met with Idaho players since an SCNG report on December 30 revealed player allegations that Gonzalez has routinely physically, verbally and emotionally abused players during his two seasons at Idaho. Gonzalez is scheduled to hold his first practice with players on January 18.
Idaho players have repeatedly expressed concerns about their safety if they are required to practice with Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said in an email to SCNG Friday that, “yes, we have strategies in place” to deal with player safety concerns. “I am awaiting a response from our administration on which type of information I will be able to provide as the investigation is still ongoing.”
Dean of Students Blaine Eckles will also attend the meeting, Gawlik said.
A case manager from the Office of the Dean of Students “will attend and monitor all team practices, meetings, and activities where the coaches are present, or when requested by any of you,” Gawlik wrote in the email to the players.
A psychologist from the Counseling & Mental Health Center has also been assigned to the team.
But Doorn, Idaho players past and present, parents, alumni and financial donors question why Gawlik, Green and other university officials didn't take similar action more than a year ago?
In his Dec. 5, 2022 letter to Gawlik, Doorn detailed examples of bullying, verbal abuse, “severe diet and meal issues while traveling,” and “zero attempts to create a culture or team identity, zero attempts at forming relationships with the athletes.”
Doorn also refers in the letter to meetings in which Idaho players presented examples of Gonzalez's alleged abuse to Gawlik and information from women who played for Gonzalez at American University and Iowa that detailed the coach's alleged abusive behavior.
“By now you have had a meeting with certain members of the current women's volleyball team, including Kate, and therefore you are aware of this situation and the issues being raised,” Doorn wrote. “I implore you to look into each of these issues, examples, the breadth of how many people are involved, and the pattern of this behavior. The list of people that are involved includes current athletes, prior athletes that have already left the program, athletes from last spring, members of the support staff such as Trainers, Nutritionist, Strength Coach, and Biomechanist, and other members of the volleyball community. You have been presented with information from players that goes back more than 15 years and 4 years ago that outline this exact same pattern of abusive behavior by Chris Gonzalez. Please interview all these people, ask questions, and come to your own conclusions.”