By Chris Raimondi—Sports Editor
Former Kennesaw State’s women’s basketball players are speaking out against head coach Nitra Perry, first reported by KSU Owl Radio in a video released Friday, April 24.
Former players have made allegations of verbal and physical abuse coming from Coach Perry during their time with the women’s basketball program. Former player Valescia Dixon described an incident between Perry and her that escalated to Perry “roughing” Dixon up physically during a practice. Dixon confirmed the allegation to the Sentinel Monday.
“It was a morning practice at 6 or 6:30 and we were at the PF (practice facility) across from the study hall building,” Dixon said. “We were practicing and I guess Coach Perry was upset because the practice wasn’t going great. Coaches get upset, high temper, whatever. So we were running at this time, everyone had to run. We were running suicides and I guess she was upset with me because I wasn’t running them but I still made the time. So she told me ‘come here.’ I’m walking to her and she grabbed me and took me from the end of the court (baseline) to a wall and roughed me and pinned me up hard. I was confused and shocked because I was embarrassed, my teammates are right there. She said ‘ this is not your team.’ I was in shock because when people put their hands on you, it’s time to fight at that point. The only reason I didn’t was because of my situation with grandma and I just got here with the scholarship I felt so much pressure. So at that time I freed myself and pushed off a little bit and I walked away around the corner, but as I’m walking away, Coach Perry is still following me.”
Dixon stated Perry continued to shout “this is not your team” at her as she walked away and instructed Dixon to take off her jersey and gear claiming all of it belonged to her. Dixon stated she asked Perry to stop speaking to her. Dixon said her temper boiled over as Perry continued to follow her and she punched a wall in frustration which stunned Perry and the players and coaches. “She pushed me to that point,” Dixon said. “Just get away from me. I left in my car and came to the dorms. I sat in my car crying. At this point, as far as her being a coach, I lost all respect. It’s gone, you put your hand on me.”
Dixon said she came to KSU with high expectations after coming from a junior college and living with her grandmother. “It was a blessing in disguise,” she said. “I was like ‘yes, a D-I scholarship,’ because I wanted to continue playing basketball as well as get my school paid for. It’s only me and my grandmother. The housing, the education, that had me excited.”
Former player Breonna Mosely also corroborated allegations against Perry in the Owl Radio video.
Mosely joined KSU as a transfer student from the University of West Georgia. In her first season playing for the Owls this past year, she averaged 8.9 points and 5.4 rebounds through non-conference play before she was suddenly removed from the roster before Atlantic Sun play began.
Mosely described in an interview with the Sentinel multiple incidents where Perry verbally abused her which led to Mosely requesting a meeting with Director of Athletics Vaughn Williams. In an email sent to Williams, Mosely said “The negativity is no longer bearable and has affected me not only on the court but off the court as well. My mother has even set me up with a therapist because I’ve been so affected and mostly stressed by the constant verbal abuse by Coach Perry. Because of her, basketball is no longer fun for me or my place of refuge. In fact, ever since I started it has been the primary source of stress in my life.”
Mosely claimed was granted a meeting with Williams, but Perry also was present, something she wasn’t aware would happen. “It was to intimidate me,” Mosely said. According to Mosely, she never returned to the team following the meeting and was asked to clean out her locker.
The parents of Bria Young, a four-year player for KSU, also came forward about the treatment of their daughter. After playing all 30 games as a junior, Young only appeared in two games in the 2014-15 season.
Dianne Young, Bria’s mother, said “It has been nothing short of agonizing as a parent to witness the fear, intimidation, threats and mistreatment of our daughter has been subjected to over the last three years playing for Coach Perry at KSU. Perry used many bullying tactics to break her down emotionally and mentally, often in front of her teammates and other coaches.”
Young’s father, Charles Young, also sent an statement to student media. “As a father and a former D1 student-athlete, who had an amazing college experience, it is heart-breaking to sit back and watch this mistreatment continue toward my daughter, and to feel so helpless to change the situation,” he said.
The Young’s claimed they set up interviews twice with Williams to discuss the allegations, but he declined to attend and Perry took his place.
Following the posting of Owl Radio’s video to YouTube, Bria Young took to Twitter to voice her opinions. “I’ve kept pretty quiet about my experience at KSU but I’m proud of teammate speaking up. Takes a lot,” she tweeted. “I was pretty much stripped of 3 yrs of my life playing there & the stuff that went down is not right at all.”
Mosely also claimed she was victim of a double-standard when she applied for a scholarship after transferring from UWG. Mosely provided an email to student media sent to her from Perry outlining rules for a scholarship that included no consumption of alcohol, despite the fact that Mosely was of-age.
KSU player Kelly Dulkoski, 19, was arrested on Nov. 30, 2014 during this past season for underage drinking and obstruction of justice, but never lost her scholarship.
The athletic department released a statement to the Marietta Daily Journal Saturday night. “The Kennesaw State Department of Athletics internally looked into student-athlete and parent concerns raised about the women’s basketball program,” the statement said. “We take these claims very seriously and as a result followed the usual protocol for evaluating such situations, which includes appropriate interviews and conversations with involved students, parents, and coaching staff. The initial evaluation determined that head coach Nitra Perry’s interactions with her players are compatible with the expectations and standards for university employees, including coaches.
“However, based on these recent claims and because the physical, mental and emotional well-being of our student-athletes is our highest priority at Kennesaw State, the Department of Athletics, in conjunction with other university offices, will conduct a comprehensive review into the claims to assure that our student-athletes receive a most positive experience here at Kennesaw State.”
The athletic department released a second statement Tuesday during the press conference for the announcement of new men’s basketball head coach Al Skinner. “The Kennesaw State Department of Athletics, in conjunction with other University offices, has launched a review of its women’s basketball program following recent media reports about concerns raised by former student-athletes and parents,” the statement said. “Our joint inquiry is ongoing and will be thorough. In order to maintain the integrity of the review, we cannot comment further regarding any detail of the case at this time.”
Twenty players have left or been removed from the women’s basketball program in the last three seasons.
The women’s basketball team is coming off of a 2014-15 season which was the best in program history, compiling a 17-13 overall record and a 6-8 A-Sun record.
20 players leaving a bball program in 3yrs should sound an alarm. I understand being tough but trying to break a kids spirit is awful
Nitra Perry has made a name for herself in the coaching community that cannot and will not be tarnished by the lies of a few. Losing 20 players when you are trying to turn a D2 into a competitive D1 program is not far out of reach. I would love to see any one of the so-called abused players perform at a major D1.
I’m sorry but demanding excellence is not abuse. As a former D1 athlete myself, if getting yelled at by my coach was cause for emotional stress and scarring, I’d be in a straight jacket by now. It takes a certain type of athlete to handle the pressures of playing for a D1 program and frankly this generation of “how dare you yell at my child for under performing” doesn’t really create as many of the gritty type players women’s basketball is used to. They want to be great players but they don’t want to put in the work or be pushed by any means.
It’s sad really and the inability to separate intense coaching and passion from “abuse” is dragging a great coach through unnecessary dirt. It’s okay Coach Perry, even the greats had haters! Dust yourself off and move on from this cause 10 years from now when you move on to bigger and better things, this will be an insignificant bloop on the radar!
“I would love to see any one of the so-called abused players perform at a major D1” LOLOL none of the players on KSU’s team would be much on a major D1. Ya know, that’s why they’re at Kennesaw State and not Baylor. I mean, we have a sub 5 foot PG who shoots 25% from the field and is barely above a 1:1 A/T ratio. I’m sure she’d be great for UConn.
Breonna Mosely who left was arguably the best player on the team. Plenty of the players who left were D1 caliber. Taylor Mills seemed to enjoy a nice career at Belmont after leaving KSU. Chelsea Mason was a good player. Chantel Kennedy started many games for Colorado State. Ty-nita baker was a nice player. Bria Young contributed for years.
By reading your comment, you are obviously ignorant of the facts and what’s gone on at KSU the past 3 years. If you think it’s just yelling and cussing, then you are either lying or have been lied to.