Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
LOGAN — More than 100 former and current Utah State athletes signed a letter supporting former administrators Jerry Bovee and Amy Crosbie in the aftermath of the university firing them and head football coach Blake Anderson for Title IX violations.
Safety Ike Larsen and basketball center Isaac Johnson are among the current athletes who signed a letter (can be read below) to the Utah Board of Higher Education and Utah State Board of Trustees.
In total, 111 athletes came out in support of "true-blooded Aggies" Bovee and Crosbie, according to the letter that was released Monday.
"We can unequivocally and without any hesitation state that in our experience, they are individuals of integrity and prioritize doing the right thing," the letters says of Bovee and Crosbie. "They have always carried themselves with professionalism and commitment to the athletes they serve. Any statements or inferences to the contrary would be misleading."
The letter calls for a "full and transparent investigation" in the firings of Bovee and Crosbie "conducted by a third party that does not have any relationship with the university, the athletics department, or any university employee involved in their dismissal, including any relationship that existed with a University employee prior to their employment at the University."
"Throughout their time at the University, Mr. Bovee and Mrs. Crosbie have unquestionably kept student-athletes and their experiences at the forefront of their values and actions," the letter states. "Their dismissal is a loss for current and future athletes and the whole of Utah State Athletics, a loss that will be felt immediately and moving forward."
Gary Wilkinson, a former Utah State basketball player who graduated in 2009, said in a news release that Bovee and Crosbie deserved "better" treatment.
"While much remains unknown about the facts surrounding the termination of Jerry Bovee and Amy Crosbie, what I know for certain is that these two deserve better," Wilkinson said. "I've known Jerry and Amy for many years. Their work ethic and integrity are beyond question. Seeing them treated this way raises serious questions about these decisions."
Bovee, who for a time was the interim athletic director, and Crosbie, who was a former volleyball player at Utah State before serving as the school's executive associate athletic director and senior woman administrator, were both fired in early July.
Bovee later released a statement in which he said he was "blindsided" by the sudden firing and that he is "vigorously defending his reputation as a loyal Aggies alum and stellar associate vice president & deputy athletics director."
"With decades of athletic leadership under his belt, Bovee is a firm supporter and defender of Title IX civil rights law. In his tenured career, he has never incurred disciplinary action or accusations of misconduct of any kind."
The players, too, noted that Bovee "never incurred disciplinary action or accusations of misconduct of any kind."
(Article does not follow player letter.)
