Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann reportedly made a Jerry Sandusky joke during athletic department meeting
Rutgers athletic director Julie Hermann can’t seem to get out of her own way.
In the latest of a long line of questionable incidents since her hire in June 2013, NJ.com is reporting that Hermann made a joke about the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal during a staff meeting last fall.
NJ.com spoke to “more than a half-dozen people inside the Rutgers athletic department,” and school officials “acknowledged Hermann made the Sandusky-related remark” in what was described as a meeting with more than 100 athletic department employees.
"Julie's comment was an off the cuff response to a give-and-take interaction urging the fundraising team to reach out and touch the donors,'' said Pete McDonough, senior vice president for external affairs, when pressed for a statement from Rutgers President Robert Barchi. "There probably isn't a person alive today who hasn't made an impromptu remark in a private meeting that probably shouldn't have been said. Even taken out of context, this single comment was not directed at Penn State, its students, staff or faculty."
Those in attendance told NJ.com that Hermann, who declined comment, made the remarks “while addressing her department staff from the podium.”
Multiple people interviewed by NJ Advance Media – who would speak only on the condition of anonymity because they feared retribution – said Hermann was talking about "reaching out and touching the donors" of the program and her punchline was to not do it "in a Sandusky way."
Another Rutgers employee said that Hermann told the staff that they are “all ambassadors for Rutgers” and that they have to “reach out to our donors, fans, everyone,” but “not in a Jerry Sandusky-type way.”
This comment comes to light four days after Hermann apologized for Rutgers fans wearing “Beat Ped State” shirts in photos that appeared on Rutgers Football's official Facebook page after the Scarlet Knights fell to Penn State Saturday night.
Members of the athletic department decided to come forward about Hermann’s comment because it was “hypocritical” for Hermann to issue the apology to Penn State after she made a similar comment last year.
As for the timing of why members of the athletics department decided either to come forward or acknowledge Hermann's remark when contacted by NJ Advance Media, one employee said it was "hypocritical" for the athletic director "to come out on your high horse and apologize for their behavior and yet that was (allegedly said during) her initial (staff) conference making light of the situation."
This is just the latest bit of controversy from Hermann during her time at Rutgers. Previously, Hermann told a Rutgers class that it would be “great” if The Star-Ledger, a New Jersey-based newspaper, went out of business. She also was accused of bullying players while coaching volleyball at Tennessee in the mid-‘90s, firing an employee for being pregnant while at Louisville, and reportedly wasn't truthful about speaking to the parents of a Rutgers football player who quit the team after accusing a coach of bullying him.
Despite her tumultuous tenure with the university, McDonough issued a vote of confidence for Hermann.
"The University is not going to let a spontaneous, offhand remark obscure the fact that Julie is doing a great job as Athletics Director,'' McDonough said. "Bringing change always ruffles some feathers, but the results are clear -- ticket sales are setting new records for home and away games, the R-Care program is serving our student athletes' academic, social and personal well-being, and our fundraising up.''
For more Rutgers news, visit ScarletNation.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
