MaChelle Joseph responds to Georgia Tech’s allegations

Issues with Title IX

At the forefront of Joseph’s response, she points out that while she tried to have good-faith discussions with the administration about putting her program on a more equal field with the men’s program, the school did not reciprocate.

“It is clear that the Institute undertook the investigation that led to the creation of the Report in direct response to my escalating complaints of discrimination and retaliation. As you know through my employment at GT, I have regularly raised concerns to about various, important disparities between my program and the Men’s Basketball (“MBB”) team which I believe has resulted in unequal treatment and opportunity for Women’s Basketball (“WBB”).

For example, I have raised concerns about the significant disparities in salary allocation for assistant coaches; funding for publicity and marketing; the condition of the locker room; and the methods of travel. Instead of engaging me in a good faith discussion about my concerns, the Institute, under the Athletic Department leadership has attempted to silence me — terminating the former Senior Woman Administrator (“SWA”) who also had advocated for change, mocking me for repeatedly raising these issues, angrily accusing me of “attacking” the school or men’s athletics with my complaints, and vowing to “get rid” of me. Over the past three years, and in response to my complaints of discrimination, certain members of the Athletic Department have subjected me to pattern of ongoing retaliation and harassment, baselessly accusing me of wrongdoing and attempting to interfere with my team and my players.’

Responses to allegations that she used inappropriate language towards players.

It is no secret that college coaches oftentimes use colorful language towards their players, sometimes as motivation and others in times of punishment. While certain levels of this are widely accepted, there is a non-defined line that cannot be crossed. Where that line is located is unclear (which is a whole other issue we could dive into), but some of the things Joseph is accused of saying certainly crossed it. She responded to all of them, the biggest that are located below.

In response to telling a player she would be in jail if not for Coach Joseph: “Police officers called the former player noted above to the police station for questioning in connection with allegations that the former player had *redacted*. I later picked her up from the police station and told her, in effect, and in an effort to emphasize the gravity of the situation, that she needed to understand how fortunate she was, and she could be in jail but for the people in the WBB family who were trying to support and protect her.”

In response to calling a player a “pussy”: “I have never called one of my players a “pussy.” At the half-time of the GT/UVA game, I told the team “We are not competing. We are quitting. Are we afraid to win? We are playing like fucking pussies.”

In response to calling a player “fat”: “I have never called one of my players fat. After back-to-back wins, I have stated “we can’t get fat and happy.” I also once stated that we needed to run an opponent’s ‘fat ass up and down the floor.'”

In response to calling a player a “motherfucker”: On or around February 10, 2019, one of my players played well. After the game, I texted her that she was “awesome a pure MFer!” I have never referred to a player using this term in a derogatory way. In fact, the day after I sent this text message, I told another player that I meant this specific comment as a compliment, to which she responded ‘I know it was on a positive way.'”

In response to calling a player a “whore”: “I have never called one of my players a whore, and have never accused any player of having sex with everyone on campus, as was alleged by the Investigator.”