BOWLING GREEN — Three Bowling Green State University hockey players have been placed on suspension and head coach Ty Eigner has been placed on administrative leave following a report of alleged hazing at an off-campus event involving student athletes on the team.
Curtis Carr has been named interim head coach effective immediately, and William Switaj has been appointed to serve in an interim advisory capacity, according to a BGSU release issued Monday afternoon.
Coach Eigner was placed on paid administrative leave effective Saturday “pending a review of allegations of hazing involving hockey team members posing a substantial risk of serious physical harm to other players,” according to Coach Eigner’s notice of administrative leave that was hand-delivered to the coach and obtained by The Blade through a public records request.
Read the administrative leave letter to Ty Eigner.
“Throughout the duration of the paid leave, you are to relinquish all university keys, remain off the University’s premises and not attend work or any University scheduled events effective immediately,” the notice said. “You are also instructed not to contact any University employees or students.”
The BGSU release stated that the school notified local law enforcement and started its own investigation immediately upon receiving a report of the alleged hazing.
“Through our commitment — both on campus and across the state — the University remains steadfast in its mission to eradicate hazing,” the statement said. “Our community continues to embrace a culture of accountability, and we continue to be grateful for those who report concerns.”
Through his attorney, Coach Eigner declined a request for comment when reached Monday. His attorney, Alex Rogosheske, also declined comment.
The Bowling Green Police Department told The Blade it has no hazing reports or incidents.
The suspension news occurred the same day the Central Collegiate Hockey Association released its preseason coaches poll and awards. Bowling Green was picked third in the conference. The preseason player of the year honor went to Bowling Green’s Austen Swankler, who has entered the transfer portal, he confirmed to The Blade on Monday.
The CCHA announced in a statement on Monday that it was notified of the alleged incident, and that the league “stands behind our student athletes and condemns any form of hazing or abuse.” The statement also said the conference will withhold further comment until the investigation is complete.
Coach Eigner, a 1993 BGSU graduate and former player for the Falcons, has compiled a 71-61-10 record in four seasons leading his alma mater. He was an assistant coach for BGSU from 2010 to 2019.
Coach Carr, who has been an assistant coach since 2019, is scheduled to speak during the CCHA virtual media day on Tuesday.
BGSU officials have said they’ve taken many strides in the past two years to curb hazing incidents following the March, 2021, death of 20-year-old Stone Foltz. He died after participating in a BGSU Pi Kappa Alpha tradition in which fraternity pledges were expected to drink a full bottle of liquor as part of their initiation.
In the years that followed, the fraternity in question was permanently expelled from the school, several students were either suspended or expelled — as well as criminally charged — and Gov. Mike DeWine signed a new law to stiffen hazing penalties in Ohio. Earlier this year, Mr. Foltz’s parents announced they reached settlements stemming from lawsuits that accused the school and their son’s former fraternity members of contributing to his death.
As part of the settlement, BGSU officials agreed to more than $2.9 million in the family’s lawsuit against the university, which accused the school of negligence in failing to oversee fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha or enforcing existing anti-hazing laws. All told, the settlements top $10 million when combined with the more than $7.2 million in settlements from lawsuits against Pi Kappa Alpha as well as 18 of Mr. Foltz’s former fraternity members who participated in the hazing that resulted in Mr. Foltz’s death.
Part of the settlement also included a pledge from university officials to partner with the Foltz family to eradicate hazing through their iamstonefoltz FOUNDATION.
A representative of the Foltz family could not be immediately reached.
First Published September 18, 2023, 5:35 p.m.
