Coach returns amid abuse allegations

By Jason Cohn

Women's head basketball coach Michelle Bento-Jackson has returned to work following a two-month investigation by the university, in which players alleged that she verbally abused them.

"There are no pending impediments for fulfilling her contract through 2008," Bento-Jackson's attorney, James Wagstaffe, told The Santa Clara on Monday.

The investigation took place following the reported dismissal of Bento-Jackson on July 7, which was contested by Bento-Jackson and was reviewed by an university investigator with no affiliation to the athletic department.

After interviewing all the players on the team, the reviewer, whom the university refused to identify, found that the athletic department had no cause for firing Bento-Jackson.

But university officials remained silent on specifics of the investigation. University spokeswoman Deepa Arora, in a written statement, said that Bento-Jackson "will continue as head women's basketball coach at Santa Clara University."

"It's a personnel matter so I am precluded from any further comment," Arora said.

Shortly after the university renewed her contract for two years, media reports over the summer documented that some players on the team complained about being verbally abused.

"There was some disgruntlement," Wagstaffe admitted. "Some players wanted to play more I guess."

In July, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Santa Clara graduate and former star guard for the Broncos, Quinn Thomas, had submitted a complaint to university officials following the conclusion of last season.

There were also reports in the San Jose Mercury News that players had complained they had been sexually harassed by Bento-Jackson's husband, Al Jackson, which Wagstaffe immediately denied, saying:

"That was a dead issue brought up by the papers to get people's attention. It has been a dead issue for two years now."

In those published news reports, some players alleged that Bento-Jackson subjected them to excessive verbal abuse.

Several calls placed to the athletic department, seeking comments from players, were not immediately returned.

But Wagstaffe told The Santa Clara that Bento-Jackson was happy to be back coaching at Santa Clara, adding:

"She has a team that's excited to play for her this season."

Bento-Jackson accumulated a record of 46 wins and 45 losses in three seasons as head coach and led the team to the NCAA Tournament last year, after upsetting Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament finals.

Contact Jason Cohn at (408) 551-1918 or jrcohnstead@hotmail.com.