Don’t close the book quite yet on the Great Band Brouhaha.
Following last Saturday’s Iowa-Iowa State game in Ames, reports began to surface that members of the Hawkeyes marching band were verbally and, in at least a couple of instances, physically abused as they made their way back to the bus after the game. “One student was forcefully groped while another suffered broken ribs, according to several accounts,” the Iowa Press-Citizen wrote.
Wednesday, a joint statement from the two schools expressed embarrassment “when students in the bands don’t feel safe when performing at an away game” and that "[e]ach of our athletics departments is committed to doing whatever is necessary to improve the environment for visiting school marching bands in the future.”
In the ensuing days, however, there was a social media uproar over the investigation being closed and the handling of the probe on both sides.
In a new statement Friday, the University of Iowa announced that it has reopened the investigation into allegations of what the Gazette described as “verbal, physical and sexual abuse directed against the Hawkeye Marching Band.”The communication on social media made it clear we had not shared enough information with our students about the steps the university has taken to address the concerns raised by members of our marching band.
Student safety is our number one priority and we are committed to ensuring a safe experience on game day for our students,” she said. “Additionally we are continuing our investigation to ensure all of our students have the ability to share their experiences with the appropriate authorities.