A panel of University of Montana officials and others discussed issues such as toxic masculinity, bullying, college athletics and sexism Monday night at the Wilma Theater.

Erin Erickson with Missoula Rises acted as a co-emcee along with Assistant UM Athletic Director Brynn Molloy, UM President Seth Bodnar, head football coach Bobby Hauck, Athletic Director Kent Haslam, Drew Colling with SARC, Chantelle Gaynor with Missoula City-County Relationship Violence Services, and Lisa Davey, who published an online petition to keep Hauck from returning as head coach.

Davey said just one example of her opposition was how Hauck treated reporters from the student newspaper.

“I find it completely unacceptable to swear at them and put them down when they’re asking about player behavior,” Davey said. “It was clear top me after ESPN picked up the story and national opinion weighed in and called him a bully, that he was not interested in fixing the problem, or looking for solutions, but was mostly interested in evading it.”

Bodnar was clear in his comments that Haslam and Hauck are his employees, and that much is expected of all the coaches on campus.

“I know there are a lot of Griz fans out there tonight, so don’t throw tomatoes at me, but the point of our athletic programs is not to win games,” said Bodnar. "It's not. These are key ways to enhance the development of the young women and men who participate in these sports.”

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Coach Hauck entered the conversation and pointed out why he and so many others become coaches.

“The reason I coach, the reason I’ve done it for going on 30 years, is because I want to develop men of character,” Hauck said. “Men who are good husbands, good fathers, great in the community and basically successful in life. We try to give them the background to be all of those things. That’s why we do what we do.”

The entire panel rejected the way fan forums such as egriz.com and maroon blood treated Davey when she introduced her petition in opposition to coach Hauck.

The event was live-streamed on the Missoula Community Access Television Facebook page, and will be available on demand on their website. 

 

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