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Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart held a press conference this afternoon to address the recent allegations against the university.
Hart stated early on that he was incapable of speaking directly about anything in regards to the sexual assault lawsuit originally filed by six women against the university on Feb. 9.
Here are some of the highlights from what he had to say.
Hart: "We're not perfect. We're far from it. I would argue that anyone who thinks they are is walking around with blinders on."
— Tennessee Beat (@TennesseeBeat) February 25, 2016
Hart: "We should take a leadership role" in dealing with what he calls a "national problem."
— Patrick Brown (@pbrown247) February 25, 2016
https://twitter.com/Volquest_Paul/status/702916074317160452
Hart: Guilty parties should be immediately dealt with and prosecuted, that's my view of those who commit this type of act.
— John Brice (@JohnDBrice1) February 25, 2016
Hart reiterated this exact phrase twice in a short span.
https://twitter.com/Volquest_Paul/status/702918211281494016
Hart: "Athletics plays no part in investigates processes." They have one liason "to the appropriate people."
— Patrick Brown (@pbrown247) February 25, 2016
Hart was questioned as to why he didn’t attend the press conference that all of the school’s head coaches held on Tuesday morning.
Hart: (Coaches wanted) Primary focus on inaccurate narrative. … We have an extraordinary culture. … I'm proud of culture we have here.
— John Brice (@JohnDBrice1) February 25, 2016
Hart: "If I had been in town, I wouldn't have gone to the press conference. They wanted that forum to express what they see every day."
— Tennessee Beat (@TennesseeBeat) February 25, 2016
https://twitter.com/Volquest_Paul/status/702919845101375489
Dave Hart said student-athletes accused of wrongdoing are "absolutely not treated any differently" than non student-athletes.
— Josh Ward (@Josh_Ward) February 25, 2016
Hart: We have a handful of former employees who are upset. Some of you use them as sources. What they're saying isn't true, though.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) February 25, 2016
Hart says he doesn't worry about his own job security, but acknowledges that it's a "fair question."
— Patrick Brown (@pbrown247) February 25, 2016
Some protestors gathered near Hart’s presser.
Protestors outside Dave Hart's press conference. pic.twitter.com/2W09rJzYqB
— Tennessee Beat (@TennesseeBeat) February 25, 2016
Protestors outside chanting "Vols For Jane." pic.twitter.com/kX2ug3V6De
— Tennessee Beat (@TennesseeBeat) February 25, 2016
Born and raised in Gainesville, Talal joined SDS in 2015 after spending 2 years in Bristol as an ESPN researcher. Previously, Talal worked at The Gainesville Sun.
