E-mails show rift between ASU coach, athletic director over sexual harassment allegations against booster

PHOENIX - New e-mails are revealing a rift between Arizona State University basketball coach Bobby Hurley and the school's Athletic Director, Ray Anderson.

The dispute began in 2019, as a booster of the program was accused of sexual harassment by three wives of ASU staff members. In court documents obtained by FOX 10, former ASU Athletics Department employee David Cohen claims the booster, Bart Wear, harassed his wife and touched her inappropriately.

Cohen’s attorney, Michael Perez, says the university didn’t do enough to stop it.

"You had three women who all were credible, who all had corroborating stories and corroborating witnesses, and the university ignored their allegations," said Perez.

ASU officials have previously defended how they handled the allegations, but gave no comment Wednesday as Yahoo Sports reported on e-mails between Hurley and Anderson, discussing the accusations.

According to the e-mails obtained from a Freedom of Information Act request, Hurley complains to Anderson that a man, whose name is redacted, sat in a prominent seat at a game in December.

"You have disregarded the safety and shown no sensitivity towards the women that have experienced sexual assault,” Hurley wrote to Anderson.

In a reply, Anderson said Hurley’s allegations are false and baseless.

"Your approach here is puzzling. This matter should now be firmly put in the hands of the lawyers," Anderson wrote, in a reply.

"ASU decided to put greater weight on protecting its donor than it did on protecting its victims," said Perez.

FOX 10 has reached out to Wear for comment, but he has yet to respond. Wear has also filed a lawsuit of his own, calling this "character assassination."

Hurley's attorney did not want to comment on the developments.