The woman who alleged former Colorado assistant football coach Joe Tumpkin physically and verbally abused her for nearly two years sued Tumpkin and four of his superiors at the school on Wednesday.
Colorado president Bruce Benson, football coach Mike MacIntyre, athletic director Rick George and chancellor Phil DiStefano all face claims of negligence and civil conspiracy, while Tumpkin is being sued for claims of assault, battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court in Colorado. All of the claims seek compensation based on the determination of a jury trial.
The woman's attorney, Peter Ginsberg, said at first she did not wish to pursue a lawsuit, but changed her mind when "it became clear to her that the University had no intention of taking the matter seriously."
"This is no longer about protecting the man who abused me and the powerful men who decided not to do what they were morally, contractually, and legally required to do," said Pamela Fine, the alleged victim, in a statement provided by Ginsberg. "I am no longer protecting the men who silence victims in the name of winning football games."
Colorado spokesman Ken McConnellogue provided this statement in response to the lawsuit: "The claims in the lawsuit are not well founded factually or legally and we will defend our employees aggressively."
Tumpkin was suspended and placed on administrative leave Jan. 6, when MacIntyre and George learned a judge issued a temporary restraining order against the assistant coach at Fine's request, the school said. He resigned Jan. 27.
Tumpkin was charged with five felony counts of second-degree assault and three misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault in a domestic violence case, the district attorney for Adams and Broomfield counties in Colorado announced Jan. 31. The charges allege Tumpkin "used his hands as a deadly weapon, caused bodily injury and strangled" Fine in multiple incidents between February 2015 and November 2016.
A preliminary hearing to help determine if the case will proceed was scheduled for June 22, according to a spokeswoman for the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office; however, the Daily Camera reported that hearing was canceled due to a dispute over how much access Tumpkin's defense team should have to Fine's cellphone records.
In February, the university hired two lawyers from Philadelphia-based firm Cozen O'Connor to investigate how the university responded to the woman's allegations. That investigation determined Fine told MacIntyre about the alleged abuse, who, in turn, notified George, who alerted DiStefano. This, the report concluded, indicates there was no intent on MacIntyre or George's part to ignore or hide the report of abuse. DiStefano, however, did not report the allegations to the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance and, as a result, was suspended a week without pay.
MacIntyre and George received reprimands and donated $100,000 to organizations that address domestic violence.
MacIntyre agreed to a $16.25 million contract extension in January, but the board of regents held off on voting to confirm the deal until the completion of the investigation into the university's handling of the allegations. It approved the contract in June.
"I responded the way I was supposed to respond. The way I've been trained to," MacIntyre told ESPN in July. "That's why I got a unanimous vote from the board of regents. There is a process set now with everybody in our university and a lot more understanding of how to do that."
Tumpkin spent the past two seasons as Colorado's safeties coach. After defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt left to become the defensive coordinator at Oregon following the regular season, Tumpkin assumed the defensive coordinator role in the Buffaloes' 38-8 loss to Oklahoma State in the Valero Alamo Bowl.