ASU Finds Bart Wear Made 'Unwelcome' Contact with Athletic Dept. Members' Wives

An independent investigation requested by Arizona State University determined there was "sufficient evidence to conclude" three wives of athletic department members were sexually harassed by booster Bart Wear. 

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported Thursday the school confirmed the matter "could have been resolved in a quicker timeframe," but it refused to released full results of the investigation handled by the St. Louis-based law firm Armstrong Teasdale.

The allegations were brought to light in a notice of claim—a court filing that signals the filing of a lawsuit—filed by former ASU senior associate athletic director David Cohen, who alleges he was fired from his position for "insisting" athletic director Ray Anderson and other staff members investigate Wear's actions.

Cohen's wife, Kathy Cohen, and Leslie Hurley, the wife of Sun Devils head basketball coach Bobby Hurley, were among the women to allege "unwelcome comments and physical contact" by Wear, per Thamel.

Arizona State confirmed it has terminated Wear's season tickets and "informed him he is no longer welcome at university events."

Cohen's notice of claim alleges Wear, who played football at ASU, grabbed his wife at a Pac-12 tournament game in March, "put his hands on her waist, moved his hands up the side of her body to the sides of her breast, held his hands on the sides of her breasts and said, 'Dave is lucky to have you.'"

Another wife of an athletics department staffer said in the notice of claim that Wear "rubbed her back and asked inappropriate personal questions" during the tournament, and she asked Cohen to move her seat so she didn't have to sit near Wear for the next game.

Following the season, Cohen said he reported the allegations to the head of the ASU booster club, of which Wear was a member, and the notice of claim says that at least five ASU officials were aware of the allegations. The independent investigation into the allegations began after Cohen was removed in August.

Cohen alleges in the notice of claim that "ASU showed more concern for the convenience and reputation of a prominent booster than the victims of assault and sexual harassment."

Arizona State told Yahoo Sports that Cohen "changed his story" about the interaction, saying that Wear grabbed a victim's breast, which the investigation found to be "untrue."

Cohen is seeking a $1.5 million settlement for lost wages, pain and suffering and emotional harm.

"Even though this has been a very challenging and difficult time for my family, I am confident I did the right thing," Cohen told Thamel. "I spoke out because I have a moral responsibility to protect three women that the University failed to protect. These women are the victims, and they deserve to be heard."