Yann Hufnagel Releases Statement on Sexual Harassment Investigation

Former Cal basketball assistant Yann Hufnagel released a statement Wednesday denying the sexual harassment allegations levied against him by a female reporter and indicating he would sue the university over his termination.

"These last two days have been gut-wrenching," the statement read. "Being ripped away from a team that I love has been, in a word, unbearable. I take these allegations incredibly seriously, but the report is wrong. The outpouring of support has been unwavering and heartfelt."

Hufnagel, 33, was fired earlier this week after a university report found he had harassed an unknown reporter. In the report, Hufnagel admitted to "trying to trick" the woman up to his apartment after meeting at a bar.

As ESPN.com summarized from the report, "he characterized their relationship as flirtatious," but "the journalist told investigators that she felt trapped into tolerating Hufnagel's behavior...because she relied on him as her 'singular' source of news about Cal's basketball program"

In his recollection, Hufnagel said he did not believe the actions were inappropriate because the reporter never complained. The investigation found a number of discrepancies between the two stories but ultimately found Hufnagel acted inappropriately and fired him.

"Effective immediately, Hufnagel has been relieved of his duties pending the outcome of the termination process and will not be traveling with the team during its NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament run," a university statement read, per Jeff Borzello and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. "The actions follow a finding, issued today by UC Berkeley's Office of the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) that Hufnagel violated the University's sexual harassment policy."

The university is also investigating head coach Cuonzo Martin's role in handling the allegations. The report indicated the reporter alerted Martin to the situation six weeks before she sent an email that prompted the investigation, per ESPN.com.

"You're talking about a guy who's part of your staff and a family member," Martin said, per ESPN.com. "We continue to push forward. It's not an easy thing, but we'll find our way."

Cal athletic director Mike Williams said the university's investigation is aimed at confirming its "confidence" that Martin acted appropriately.

Hufnagel has been part of Martin's staff since he arrived from Tennessee in 2014.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.