Mother feels FIU 'failed' daughter in sexual harassment case

It was reported a few days ago; a sexual harassment case has been filed against head coach Marlin Chinn at FIU by his player, Destini Feagin and her mother, Joi Nicholson. Due to the way the athletic department handled the allegations brought against him, Feagin and Nicholson feel the university has mishandled the claims they have made.

As reported by the Miami Herald, the sexual harassment allegations were made; however, Chinn was still able to coach the following game, and no action was made to suspend him until the Monday after the game. Even further, the school did not announce his suspension until hours before Feagin's story broke with the Herald.

While there has been a meeting with Senior Associate Athletic Director Julie Berg and Shirlyon McWhorter director of equal opportunity programs and diversity, Feagin feels the meeting with Berg only happened because of the random running into FIU President Mark Rosenberg at a basketball game.

She shared with the Miami Herald, President Rosenberg took notice of something being off with her and further investigated where he then contacted Berg for her. Feagin shared with the press she had attempted to reach Berg, only to be ignored until the president stepped in.

There still has not been a meeting with the athletic director Pete Garcia.

Nicholson shared with the Herald after the conversation with Berg, she didn't take the allegations serious, yet was trying to "sweep the situation under the rug" as she did not apologize for what she heard Feagin share, yet came off as if she (Berg) was in "denial of what was shared."

Through a source at the university, it was shared in the Herald's first story on the situation, following the allegations a there was a mandatory meeting for all athletic employees to address counseling available for them, what sexual harassment is, and the proper relationships for coaches. Chinn was not present at the meeting due to being suspended; however, his coaching staff was.

Nicholson concluded her interview with the Miami Herald sharing, "So I feel like the university has failed my daughter, but the university has failed me as a parent. Because, even though she's 22, I left them governing my child. Meanwhile, there hasn't been any governance. She's been mishandled, misused and sexually harassed by an authority figure you're supposed to trust."