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Georgia head coach Kirby Smart during Georgia’s annual G-Day scrimmage on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 15, 2023. (Tony Walsh/UGAAA)
The University of Georgia responded on Tuesday to an article written by Atlanta-Journal Constitution investigative journalist Alan Judd, whose report detailed how the Bulldogs’ football program allegedly handled sexual assault accusations against its student-athletes.
The university released a nine-page letter demanding a retraction from the AJC and Judd. The document was sent to the AJC by the University of Georgia Athletics General Counsel Michael M. Raeber.
"I write on behalf of the University of Georgia Athletic Association to demand the prompt retraction of a recent article authored by investigative reporter Alan Judd, entitled ‘UGA football program rallies when players accused of abusing women,’ published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution online on June 27, 2023, and on the front page of the print edition on Sunday, July 2, 2023.
"This article is the latest in a series by Mr. Judd focused on the UGA football program in the aftermath of the tragic accident on January 15 of this year. We have strongly disagreed with many aspects of Mr. Judd's reporting over the last six months. But for an organization whose Newsroom Ethics Code (www.ajc.com/ethics-code/) states that "professional integrity is the cornerstone of our credibility," this most recent article crossed a new line.
"Mr. Judd's article is replete with errors, unsubstantiated allegations, innuendo, and possibly even fabrications. We do not write to you lightly; we are accustomed to the rough scrutiny of a robust press, and we appreciate its central importance in a free society. But this article stands out in its reckless disregard for the truth and its imposition of a damaging narrative unsupported by the facts. The AJC's Newsroom Ethics Code states, ‘In our news reports, we do not lie; we do not fabricate, and we do not distort images or audio in a manner that is misleading.’ Yet several parts of Mr. Judd's article beg the very concerning conclusion that aspects of his reporting are indeed fabricated, whether knowingly or recklessly.
"Without these significant errors, distortions, and potential fabrications, there is simply no basis for the article's central thesis-that the UGA football program actively supports players accused of abusing women. Consider that thesis and how abhorrent it is. To quote Carl Sagan, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." But time and again, the article fails to provide any credible factual bases for its sensational claims. We do not shy away from good reporting that informs the public and helps us consider our programs and the ways we can improve them. But we also do not shy away from calling out reporting that fails to meet these standards.
"The AJC Newsroom Ethics Code proclaims, "We admit our errors and correct them." I write today to demand just that--an admission of error and a retraction of the article. The retraction should be prompt, clearly identified as a retraction, and featured and promoted as conspicuously and publicly as the original article."
The AJC report said that 11 players during UGA head coach Kirby Smart’s tenure “remained with the team after women reported violent encounters to the police, to the university, or to both.” The story, however, only identified three of those players.
The article was published last month online and on the front page of a Sunday print edition of the AJC.
The report also revealed that now-Georgia defensive lineman Jamaal Jarrett had been questioned by Athens-Clarke County police last June regarding an allegation of sexual assault while he was a recruit.
The full police report was then published by Jake Rowe of DawgsHQ.
Judd’s report details the story from Jarrett’s accuser, who at the time, was a 20-year-old woman that he had previously met in Athens. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution article displayed a series of text messages between Jarrett and the accuser following the alleged sexual assault. It also reported why the Athens-Clarke County Police Department didn’t pursue any charges against him.
The full police report, which was first obtained by Rowe and On3.com, displayed three important details from the police report that were not shown in the AJC’s published story on the incident.
Another example in the AJC’s report was about former linebacker Adam Anderson, who was charged with two counts of rape but was subsequently removed from the team after they came to light.
The AJC reported that eight football players and teammates of Anderson’s stood up to defend him at a hearing, despite the alleged victim being a part-time worker for the football team at the time.
The AJC report detailed Anderson’s lawyer said that head coach Kirby Smart’s blessing to be there, making it look like the Georgia football team was supporting its player over the alleged victim.
According to Kipp Adams of Dawgs247, Anderson’s lawyer “rebuked” that claim about Smart encouraging the eight players to attend the hearing. The players went on their own to speak at the courthouse.
Smart spoke to the media about the alleged allegations on Tuesday, according to Dawgs247.
"We take these allegations extremely seriously, OK? Me personally, I take these allegations extremely serious. We do not tolerate sexual misconduct in our organization,” Smart said on Tuesday. “I'm a football coach. I'm responsible for this program, and that starts with me. I see this as a topic through the lens of I have a wife and I have a daughter, and I think about these situations when I think about them. It's very personal to me, OK? I can handle a lot of talk. What I cannot and will not tolerate is false accusations that this program or this university condones sexual misconduct, OK? No tolerance for sexual assault or abuse. Never have [and] never will we have that.”
Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks doubled down and also defended the football program.
“The first example [Jarrett], a recruit at the time, was never charged,” Brooks said. “The second player [Anderson] was immediately suspended by the team, and his career was effectively ended once he was charged. That player never competed again in a game for Georgia football. And the third player [Tray Bishop] was suspended during an investigation period and never played again after charges for unlawful surveillance were brought. Recent reporting by some does not match the facts of the case, which anyone would know upon reading the police report in full. Even though the charges were ultimately dismissed, this player never participated in a competition for Georgia football. We're here to give you all the facts and insight into how we handle matters of this magnitude.”
DawgsHQ has published the entire letter online for its readers and others to view for free.