I’m sure these cases and accusations will continue to pour out in light of the Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin bullying scandal in Miami.
According to the Newark Star Ledger, former Rutgers DB Jevon Tyree has accused defensive coordinator Dave Cohen of bullying, which caused him to leave the team.
Tyree claims Cohen confronted him during an April study hall session, and called him a “pussy” and a “bitch.” Tyree says Cohen then threatened to head-butt him.
The incident reportedly happened in front of approximately 10 teammates and a tutor, Jevon Tyree said, and it led to the him being ostracized from the team, causing him to quit.
Clarice Tyree called it “an outright bullying episode,” and Mark Tyree said the behavior soon “transferred to the other coaches.” Jevon Tyree, a redshirt freshman on scholarship, said that after the frightening incident, his standing on the team plummeted, along with practice repetitions and any shot at playing time. He said there were team meetings from which he was excluded.
Eventually, after coaches used a wide receiver instead of him in the injury-decimated secondary during a game this month, Tyree quit. But his parents have pursued the matter.
“I really think disciplinary action should happen, almost to the point where (Cohen) should get fired. I really do,” Mark Tyree said. “That’s how bad it is, especially for the damage he’s done to Jevon.”
In a statement released Friday night, Rutgers said Cohen apologized “the following day for his participation in the escalation of the banter” and head coach Kyle Flood reprimanded him. The statement said “at no time was there any threat of physical violence, which was verified by an academic counselor, who was present in the room.”