Rutgers President Calls For Investigation Into Women's Gymnastics Team

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway is calling for an external investigation to be done into the Rutgers women's gymnastics team.

This comes within the same 24-hour period that NJ.com/NJ Advance Media was the first to report an allegation about former Rutgers athletic director Patrick Hobbs, who abruptly and mysteriously resigned from the top job on Aug. 16, saying his doctors told him he has heart issues.

Citing anonymous sources within the Rutgers Athletic department, NJ.com exclusively reported that before he quit, Hobbs was under investigation by Rutgers University for an “inappropriate, consensual relationship.” It has never been reported with whom.

Hobbs is married with three children.

NJ.com also reported there have been allegations from Rutgers student-athletes about a "toxic" environment in the women's gymnastics program. The Rutgers women's gymnastics team is coached by head coach Umme Salim-Beasley. Seven former members of the team told NJ.com Aug. 30 Salim-Beasley led a culture of bullying, exclusion and favoritism. They called the environment "toxic."

Gov. Phil Murphy even remarked on the allegations publicly Friday in a press conference.

Murphy called the allegations "really ugly and very disturbing."

“I know there is an investigation underway, so I don’t want to preempt that,” said the governor. “I have no insights into that. But that was really ugly and very disturbing. I’ve reached out to Rutgers at the highest levels. I know they have an internal investigation going, but that was a pretty disgusting set of facts in the paper. We shall see.”

On Saturday, Holloway formally asked the Rutgers Board of Governors to arrange an investigation into the women's gymnastics team, according to a memo released by the university.

"Recently, reports in the media have raised concerns about the women’s gymnastics team at Rutgers University," said Holloway Saturday in a message he sent to the governing board. "I am confident that the university has applied its policies appropriately as it pertains to the program. Nonetheless, with our students’ well-being in mind, today I called for an external review of the culture and climate of women’s gymnastics to ensure that any allegations related to the team have been comprehensively addressed."

"Our learning environment depends upon the safety, health and mental well-being of all our students, and the university strives in every aspect of our operations to foster an environment where our students can thrive," continued Holloway. "Rutgers Athletics shares this commitment. Whenever concerns or allegations arise about our support for students, the university investigates those concerns in accordance with our policies, the law, and, in the case of Athletics, our NCAA standards. I have taken this step with the full support of our interim director of athletics, Ryan Pisarri."

Hobbs, who lives in Basking Ridge, abruptly quit the job at the helm of Rutgers athletics with still four years left in his contract, at a salary of $1.3 million a year. He was supposed to be athletic director through 2028. At the time, Hobbs said he had been diagnosed with unspecified cardiac issues.

Rutgers Athletic Director Pat Hobbs Resigns For Health Reasons (Aug. 16)