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'I'm really, really afraid' | University of Idaho volleyball player details alleged abuse from head coach

More than a dozen University of Idaho volleyball players are urging school officials to take action on what they describe as abusive actions from their head coach.

Celina Van Hyning, Whitney Ward

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Published: 2:38 PM PST January 12, 2024
Updated: 2:38 PM PST January 12, 2024

When a fourth-generation Idaho Vandal joined the University of Idaho volleyball team, she was ecstatic about the chance to play the sport she loves at a school so near to her family’s heart.

Emma Patterson, a junior, transferred to the University of Idaho in 2023. She spent the three years before playing at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, but said she knew someday she would come to Idaho.

"My mother and father, grandma and grandpa, great grandmother and great grandfather all came through the university,” Patterson said. “When I was looking to transfer after being at Alaska, the University of Idaho was at the top of my list.”

In the year she’s been in Idaho, she said she’s loved nearly every aspect of the school.

What Patterson didn’t know is that she would soon be speaking out against alleged abuse at the hands of head coach Chris Gonzalez.

“He physically pushed a girl to the ground, during practice, when he jumped into the drill,” she said. “He called the girls linebackers implying that they need to lose weight. Last year, there was an African American girl on the team. And he made kind of racial comments about that.”

She told KREM 2 the abuse happened almost daily and sometimes targeted certain players more than others.

Patterson is just one of at least 13 University of Idaho volleyball players who claim they suffered mental, verbal and physical abuse by Gonzalez, dating back to 2022. Last October, a formal complaint was filed against Gonzalez with the University’s Office of Civil Rights and Investigations (OCRI). It lists alleged offenses including "body shaming," "ignoring medical advice and putting players at greater risk of injury," "withholding food," and "creating a culture of fear, humiliation, embarrassment and intimidation."

Patterson also said, at one point, an assistant volleyball coach drove several players in a team van at almost 100 miles an hour. She shared a video with KREM 2 of the speedometer hovering at 96 miles per hour. When questioned about it later, Patterson said the head coach dismissed their concerns and told the University’s Athletic Director that the players were lying. 

According to Patterson, the situation was so bad, the players asked that the investigation be delayed until the end of the season.

“We were informed that our names would be released to the coaches as soon as the investigation started," she explained. "And we were so worried about retaliation and our safety that we didn't want him to still be responsible for our care and know who we are.”

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