UVM fires hockey coach Todd Woodcroft over alleged ‘inappropriate’ texts with pupil

The College of Vermont fired its males’s hockey coach on Tuesday following a four-month-long inner investigation over alleged “inappropriate” texts with a pupil. 

Coach Todd Woodcroft was let go after a proper grievance was filed in March after he allegedly exchanged the messages “with a UVM pupil on a number of events.”

“The College of Vermont Athletic Division has excessive expectations for the conduct of our coaches and all concerned with our division,” athletic director Jeff Schulman stated in an announcement Tuesday. “After reviewing the findings of an investigation carried out by UVM’s Workplace of Affirmative Motion and Equal Alternative that was accomplished this week, it’s clear that Coach Woodcroft failed to satisfy these expectations.

“The precise conduct resulting in the investigation concerned inappropriate textual content messages with a UVM pupil on a number of events that failed to keep up skilled boundaries.”

He was not positioned on depart as the college investigated the texts however was compelled to make money working from home in the course of the probe, the college stated Wednesday.

“The grievance was solely about inappropriate textual content messages,” Schulman said during a press conference on Wednesday. “And I assume I do wish to simply be actually clear that there was no allegations or indication of something past inappropriate textual content messages.

“[Woodcroft], along with being instructed to not have any contact with any of the scholars who have been concerned, was instructed to make money working from home till the matter was resolved, however he was not placed on depart.”

The investigation started on the finish of March and was wrapped up Monday, the day earlier than the College of Vermont introduced the choice to let Woodcroft go, the college stated Wednesday.

The college’s probe started after a workers member contained in the athletic division was made conscious of Woddcroft’s conduct. 

The college didn’t say what the messages contained or who the scholar was.

Schulman, who stated the conduct solely concerned the alleged texts, additionally indicated that it wasn’t “unusual in a scenario like this for there to be one pupil concerned, but in addition witnesses and different college students which are related.” 

Woodcraft, who was named head coach of the boys’s hockey workforce in 2020 and signed a five-year contract.

The 50-year-old was additionally advised to not have any contact with the scholars concerned within the case, Schulman stated throughout Wednesday’s press convention. 

The investigation was dealt with by the college’s Workplace of Affirmative Motion and Equal Alternative, which turned its findings over to the AD. 

In a statement to the Burlington Free Press on Tuesday, Woodcroft’s legal professional Andrew Miltenberg denounced the college’s dealing with of the incident. 

“We vehemently disagree with the method and the findings of a continuing that lacked basic equity and due course of,” Miltenberg stated. “We strongly imagine the College’s resolution was opposite to the information and the regulation. We intend to pursue justice for Mr. Woodcroft, who has been an impressive coach and group advocate for over twenty years.”

Schulman stated Wednesday that he was “assured” in how the college dealt with its investigation.

“I learn his legal professional’s feedback, once more I really feel very assured within the college’s course of,” Schulman stated. “That it was thorough, that it was truthful. That Todd was afforded due course of all through and when the ultimate report got here to me I used to be snug that the findings have been substantiated. 

“And I used to be capable of act on that data with a excessive degree of confidence.”

Vermont named assistant coach Steve Wiedler as interim head coach. 

Woodcroft had beforehand labored as an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets from 2016-20.