‘I told them’: How multiple systems failed when Toledo coach’s alleged sexual misconduct was reported

The Universty of Toledo knew in 2015 about an allegation of sexual misconduct by Brad Evans, coach of its women’s soccer team, but sidelined the claims to allow the coach to eventually resign citing “inappropriate relationships”. The university was also aware of concerns raised by players and families about his behavior since 2012.

The university took five years to acknowledge the sexual misconduct allegation – only after the current coach of the University of Toledo women’s team filed a report to the school’s Title IX office in 2020. The reported victim of the alleged sexual misconduct was Candice Fabry, a former student, athlete and assistant coach at the university, as exclusively reported by the Guardian.

In a 2020 letter to Fabry informing her of the 2020 report, the university’s Director of Title IX and Compliance Vicky Kulicke wrote: “The Title IX office is aware that this was reported also to the University of Toledo’s Human Resources in 2015 and addressed at that time.” The 2020 report was made to the university by the women’s soccer team’s current coach Thomas Buchholz-Clarke, who succeeded Brad Evans after his 2015 resignation.

The reported allegation was against Evans, head coach of the women’s soccer program at the University of Toledo from 2001 to 2015. Evans’ 13-season reign at Toledo saw the team bring home four Mid-American Conference tournament titles in the NCAA’s top-flight Division I.

As the Guardian has exclusively reported, that success came at a high price for some former players and staff. The true story behind Evans’ sudden resignation from the University of Toledo women’s soccer program in 2015 was never fully explained while the coach pursued a successful career elsewhere after quietly leaving