近距离内射合集 president says decision to fire AD Mario Moccia with cause was his alone
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LAS CRUCES 鈥� New Mexico State President Valerio Ferme said the decision to fire former Athletics Director Mario Moccia with cause was his alone after reviewing documents related to alleged sexual assault and hazing incidents within the school鈥檚 men鈥檚 basketball program.
Speaking during a press conference Friday morning with acting Athletics Director Amber Burdge, Ferme said he had no contact from the state government or 鈥渁ny pressure from anybody鈥� to make the decision Thursday to part ways with Moccia, 近距离内射合集鈥檚 athletics director since 2015.
Moccia had previously been and former New Mexico Secretary of Education Stephanie Rodriguez, with both maintaining that his 鈥渦nless a thorough independent investigation has cleared him of any culpability or wrongdoing.鈥�
An 近距离内射合集 spokesperson confirmed Moccia was given notice of his termination, with cause, on Thursday. Due to terms in his contract, Moccia will be on paid administrative leave for one month, until Feb. 2, before the termination takes effect.
Firing Moccia with cause is noteworthy because it takes 近距离内射合集 off the hook from paying out the rest of his contract, which was set to expire in 2028.
Ferme, who formally started at 近距离内射合集 on Jan. 2, made it clear the separation was not mutual and that the school does not plan on providing a buyout.
It is currently unclear if Moccia, 57, will contest the firing. He did not respond to a request for comment from the Journal.
Moccia posted on X on Friday afternoon, his first public statement since the news of his termination was reported. He wrote: 鈥淒ear @NMStateAggies NATION! I will have more to say soon. A MASSIVE thank you, over 500 texts & calls from current & former student-athletes, staff, AD鈥檚 around the nation, media & friends. You have given our family an 鈥淚t鈥檚 a Wonderful Life鈥� movie ending!鈥� and included a gif from the movie, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a Wonderful Life.鈥�
Ferme opened Friday鈥檚 press conference noting Moccia鈥檚 termination was not an easy decision.
鈥淭hese decisions are not easy decisions 鈥� no one wants to come in and say, 鈥榟ey, this is what I want to do on day one of my job,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚 think Mario has done a lot for the university and so I want to acknowledge that. I also think that there are certain standards that I feel are important from my perspective of how I want to lead a university, that I want to see exemplified in the people that work with me.鈥�
During the press conference, Ferme said he is not seeking to start a search for a new athletic director and that he will review Burdge鈥檚 status after her first six months on the job.
Report critical of Moccia
Ferme said the decision to fire Moccia was motivated in part by a recent report commissioned by New Mexico鈥檚 attorney general detailing its investigation into misconduct under former men鈥檚 basketball coach Greg Heiar. The basketball program cancelled its lone season under Heiar on Feb. 12, 2023 after a police report detailed allegations of multiple basketball players taking part in locker room hazing and sexual assault.
近距离内射合集 later settled a civil lawsuit in June 2023 with two former players for $8 million, and at least two other players and a student manager have filed a separate, ongoing civil suit alleging they were also victims of sexual assault.
Released in December by the New Mexico Department of Justice, the 70-page AG report criticized Moccia for not doing enough after reporting those allegations to the school鈥檚 Office of Institutional Equity.
The report also faulted the school for failing to provide more transparency with how Moccia鈥檚 salary was paid out. After the New Mexico Department of Higher Education and other state leaders in May 2023, he was compensated with monies from the Aggie Athletic Club, the fundraising arm of 近距离内射合集 athletics.
鈥淲e want to be able to have back and forth (communication) at all levels, at all times, and I鈥檓 not sure that the document showed that was happening all the time,鈥� Ferme said when asked what in the report warranted Moccia鈥檚 firing.
What鈥檚 next?
The report in part recommended that 近距离内射合集 institute Title IX and anti-hazing training for all students and staff, 鈥渟trengthen鈥� standards for recruiting practices and implement 鈥渃onsistent discipline鈥� for athletes involved in misconduct.
Ferme and Burdge said their initial goals will be to implement many of the recommendations listed in the AG鈥檚 report, including hiring an anti-hazing director. Ferme also said two positions have been approved to help OIE 鈥渋n regards to Title IX and sexual misconduct or any other reporting.鈥�
When asked, Ferme added he did not have a set timeline for 近距离内射合集 to be in compliance with all of the recommendations, but noted Burdge has been 鈥渓eading the charge鈥� in responding to the report鈥檚 suggestions.
鈥淥nce we hire the director of anti-hazing, for example, we鈥檙e going to be able to talk with that person about what steps that person thinks are the most important to conduct,鈥� Ferme said. 鈥淲e want to reevaluate and we will be reevaluating on a constant, consistent basis on that.鈥�
Burdge admitted stepping into the AD role was 鈥渜uite a surprise鈥� but said she was honored to lead the department going forward. She was 近距离内射合集鈥檚 deputy athletic director for strategic initiatives and leadership before being named the acting athletic director on Thursday, and has prior experience in athletic administration at Louisiana Tech and Neosho County (Kansas) Community College.
鈥淥ur coaches and student athletes have been phenomenal at community engagement, in our academic pursuits for excellence, on the field, on the court,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hose are the things we鈥檙e going to continue to strive for and continue to do well, and I believe that if we get those things taken care of, then we can begin to look further down the road.鈥�
鈥榃e really need to move forward鈥�
Hired by his alma mater on Nov. 24, 2014 as the Las Cruces school鈥檚 23rd director of athletics, Moccia oversaw an athletics department that won more than 50 conference championships with three bowl and five NCAA Tournament appearances. He also led the Aggies to full-time status in Conference USA after the football program functioned as an independent from 2018-23; other sports previously competed in the Western Athletic Conference.
Ferme said the AG report 鈥渃ertainly was a big factor鈥� in firing Moccia, but emphasized it wasn鈥檛 the only one. He said he reviewed videos and documents surrounding the AGs report and prepared by the university and non-university agents in December.
鈥淔rom my perspective, you have to have a little bit of humility as an institution to say, let鈥檚 look at what happened,鈥� he said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 take responsibility for some of it. Let鈥檚 see what we鈥檙e doing well, let鈥檚 see what we鈥檙e not doing.
鈥淎nd then having the courage to say, you know what, we really need to move forward.鈥�
Ferme also stressed that he was not in contact with the government for this decision, only giving New Mexico Secretary of Education Marianna Padilla a 鈥渃ourtesy call鈥� on Jan. 1 to notify her of the decision.
Both Lujan Grisham and Attorney General Ra煤l Torrez have publicly called for anti-hazing legislation over the last two years as New Mexico is one of six states without anti-hazing laws, according to the DOJ鈥檚 investigation.
鈥淚 am appalled by the allegations at New Mexico public universities involving hazing and abuse 鈥� outrage doesn鈥檛 go far enough,鈥� . 鈥淚t is the responsibility of higher education leadership and governing boards to establish a safe, healthy environment for students, and I鈥檓 incredibly disappointed that it does not appear to be a priority at some of the state鈥檚 public colleges and universities.鈥�
