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CEDAR CITY — The athletic department at Southern Utah University has reportedly been placed under investigation, much like the former schools of two of its top administrators.
The Thunderbirds are reportedly under investigation for potential Title IX violations in multiple sports, as first reported by Action Network's Brett McMurphy who cited anonymous sources.
The entire department has been under review after an incident that involved one sport and led to several other questions, a source told KSL.com.
"It's toxic," one source told McMurphy, "absolutely toxic."
The report did not indicate the specific violations under investigation. The university responded by saying it "takes all reports seriously" and referencing the school's policies and procedures that review all allegations.
"SUU strives to foster a caring campus community supportive of the dignity of its students and employees," a statement to KSL.com read. "The university does not comment on the specifics of ongoing reviews or individual personnel matters."
Southern Utah athletic director Doug Knuth denied the report on social media, saying from his personal X account: "Brett is a good reporter but this is wrong." But it wouldn't be the first time the former Nevada AD has been caught up in a Title IX investigation.
The school hired Knuth as athletic director in December 2022, where the nearly 30-year administrator of intercollegiate athletics came from the University of Nevada.
During his time in Reno, Knuth — who was also a senior associate athletic director at the University of Utah, where he helped launch a campaign that ultimately doubled the Utes' annual fund in five years — managed 400 athletes, 16 athletic programs and 150 coaches and staff members, as noted by Southern Utah's announcement.
What wasn't noted was that Knuth was a central figure in four Title IX investigations during a long-term USA Today investigation outlining Title IX issues at Nevada.
The investigation cited interviews with more than two dozen current and former Nevada athletes and employees, as well as thousands of pages of emails and other documents obtained via public records requests that alleged inequities in men's and women's sports in facilities, recruiting, meals, travel, equipment, publicity and access to adequate medical treatment.
Southern Utah's athletic department is under investigation for potential Title IX violations in multiple sports, sources said. The entire department is under review, a source said. "It's toxic, absolutely toxic." The Division I Thunderbirds compete in WAC in all sports but…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) May 2, 2025
The investigation also revealed allegations of disparaging comments made about pregnant women, and allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an assistant cheer coach at Nevada. Knuth was not found to have violated school rules in those investigations.
The investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights began in 2019. Though Knuth was not found to have violated school rules, the university fired him in April 2022 after nine years and with 14 months remaining on his contract.
The school cited Title IX issues as a driving force, according to Nevada Sports Net.
Southern Utah president Mindy Benson hired Knuth upon recommendation from an external search firm in the fall of 2022, citing Knuth's qualifications, the school's standard hiring protocols and a detailed background check, a university spokesperson told KSL.com at the time.
Last June, Knuth was appointed to the NCAA's Division I council, which manages day-to-day decision-making responsibilities for Division I athletics across the country, according to an announcement of his term that began Aug. 1, 2023.
The university also hired Marie Tuite as deputy athletic director for external relations and chief operating office in March 2023. The veteran administrator with stops that included California and Washington came to Cedar City from San Jose State, where she resigned after being the central figure in multiple investigations and lawsuits, according to Sportico.
During her time at San Jose State, Tuite was accused of harboring a serial sexual abuser — the school's former longtime head athletic trainer — and retaliating against then-current and former employees who raised complaints, according to the report.
One report in December 2020 included an investigation into San Jose State's handling of Title IX complaints made against Scott Shaw, the former athletic trainer who was on staff both before and after Tuite took over as athletic director.
That investigation led to a $1.6 million settlement between the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and the university that included a joint resolution designed to acomodate what the federal government referred to as a decade of failure to "adequately" respond to reports of sexual misconduct.
Tuite's hire at Southern Utah in 2023 came following a "thorough vetting process," according to a university spokesperson.
