Boston University announced Thursday it will pursue an “external review” of the Athletics Department’s policies and practices and addressed resurfacing “concerns” regarding former women’s soccer coach Casey Brown.
The review will examine the department’s policies and “resources for support and care” as well as how the department prevents, responds to and follows up on complaints from athletes.
“BU is committed to continually evaluating and seeking new best practices to enhance our program in supporting the health, wellness, and excellence of our athletes,” the statement reads.
The external review comes in light of allegations involving past women’s soccer coaches.
In her recent docuseries “Call Her Alex,” podcaster Alex Cooper alleged sexual harassment by former women’s soccer head coach Nancy Feldman. Cooper, now 30, played for the Terriers from 2013-2015.
Feldman announced her retirement in 2022 after leading the program for 27 years, putting 2013-2015 assistant coach Casey Brown at the helm.
In an Instagram post on June 12, Cooper wrote she found out harassment within the women’s soccer team allegedly continued under Brown’s leadership.
“This is no longer just about me, this is systemic,” Cooper wrote. She also wrote in the post that when she reported Feldman’s alleged abuse, she was “turned away and ignored” by the University.
According to the University’s statement, concerns about Brown were formally raised in the fall of 2024. BU launched an investigation in response led by Phil Catanzano of the Education and Sports Law Group.
The investigation found “no BU policy violations” and “no evidence of sexual harassment,” according to the statement.
Despite the findings, Brown resigned without an explanation at the end of 2024, and Megan Burke, who had served as Brown’s assistant coach since 2022, was appointed head coach in 2025.
The University wrote it is “dedicated to ensuring an environment in which our athletes feel encouraged to raise concerns and that reports are addressed in ways that are consistent, lawful, and focused on the well-being of our athletes.”
In recent weeks, the BU Equal Opportunity Office has contacted every BU student-athlete to review available resources and reporting procedures, according to the statement.
“We look forward to an external review’s recommendations that can provide suggestions for continued improvements as we strive for excellence in our athletic program,” the statement concludes.