By Sam Shelton
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
The Towson University swimming and diving team has managed to stay afloat despite an incident earlier this semester involving a smartphone allegedly found recording the women’s locker room.
Acting Head Swim Coach Jake Shrum, who was uncomfortable being interviewed over the phone, said in an email that his experience leading the team has been “terrific” so far.
Shrum, a former assistant coach for the team, was appointed to acting head coach in mid-November after other members of coaching staff were put on administrative leave in connection with the incident.
“Whether we’re lifting, doing dryland, or in the water, there is a general sense of excitement, and it has had a very positive [effect] on the way we are doing those things,” Shrum said.
This comes more than two months after the original Oct. 16 incident that involved members of the women’s swimming and diving team finding and reporting a smartphone that may have been recording audio and video of them in their locker room, located in Burdick Hall.
On Nov. 23, diving coach Maureen Mead was formally charged with one felony and two misdemeanors related to the incident.
Mead, 43, has been charged with interception of communication, peeping tom and altering physical evidence in a criminal proceeding, according to online court records. The felony charge, interception of communication, carries a penalty of up to five years of incarceration and fines up to $10,000.
Mead is being charged in the Baltimore County Circuit Court and is scheduled to appear in February.
Marina Cooper, the deputy chief of staff for Towson’s interim president, Tim Chandler, provided the Baltimore Watchdog will multiple statements about the incident released by the university since October.
The first statement, dated Oct. 16, confirmed that the President’s Office was made aware of the situation.
“It was reported that team members had found a smart phone inside the team’s Burdick Pool locker room that may have captured video images and audio recordings of the student-athletes from inside the locker room,” the university said in the statement. “Immediately after receiving this information, the president’s office contacted the Towson University Police Department and an investigation was initiated.”
An updated statement issued on Oct. 21 explained that this was an isolated event, and that other students should not be afraid to use other facilities on campus.
“When the incident was reported, there was nothing to suggest that the smartphone was used to record in any other location than the women’s swimming and diving team locker room,” the update said.
A Nov. 17 statement from the University named Shrum to acting head coach and announced Director of Athletics Tim Leonard’s hiring of Tim Perkins as a temporary diving coach.
The statement also said that the team would not participate in a meet in Pittsburgh that weekend. Prior to the announcement, members of the team planned to boycott the meet in response to what they claimed to be a lack of answers and care from the university.
Following Mead’s indictment, the university released another statement in acknowledgement of the charges.
“The investigation continues regarding other members of the coaching staff, and we will provide more information as it becomes available,” the university said in the statement. “The well-being of our student-athletes remains and will continue to be our top priority.”
Head Swim Coach Pat Mead, Maureen Mead and Assistant Coach Adrienne Phillips are no longer listed as coaching staff in the swim section of the Towson Athletics website.
The swimming and diving team competition schedule will resume in January.