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In January 2021, Quinn Moffett, a 22 year-old University of Dayton student, died from an accidental drug overdose. While her death was accidental, it was the culmination of a two year battle that began when she was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted by a University of Michigan football player. On January 21, 2021, Mary Moffett, Quinn's mother, wrote a letter to Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh and the school's athletic director, Warde Manuel, detailing what her late daughter had told her.
“I am writing to you as a mother who is grieving the loss of her 22 year-old-daughter,” the Jan. 21, 2021, letter read. “I am writing and tell you this, as a Michigan football player is partially responsible for her death.”
“The University of Michigan can, and has to do better,” she wrote in her last paragraph. “It is too late for my precious daughter, but on behalf of all the young women on campus and in the community, I beg you to DO MORE.”
Surprisingly, Harbaugh called her three weeks later, having clearly read the letter carefully. According to Mary Moffett, her phone call with Harbaugh lasted 17 minutes as she told him about Quinn and he offered his sympathy; he asked her which player was responsible and said that “he didn’t want that type of person on his team or representing the school.” At the end of the call, he gave her his phone number and urged her to call if she found out the name of the player.
But outside of Harbaugh's phone call, the University of Michigan demurred and refused to vigorously investigate the assault; the university's Title IX office, campus police, Ann Arbor police department and Washtenaw County District Attorny's office all dropped their respective investigations within two months, rationalizing that it wasn't worth pursuing since Moffett was already dead. Despite having the names of the involved players, the Ann Arbor police department never even brought the players in for questioning.
As a result, Jim Harbaugh was not able to administer any punishment, since a 2020 Federal Title IX regulation banned coaches from disciplining players without a finding of fault in a disciplinary proceeding. Of the three football players who were with Moffett the night of her alleged sexual assault, two of them remained on the team without suffering any consequences while the third was able to transfer to play at another school.
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Still, Harbaugh maintained in a statement to USA Today that he's “hyper vigilant when it comes to following my reporting duties.”
“Every time that I have been contacted about or learned of any concern or issue related to conduct within our football program, including those involving sexual misconduct, I have reported that immediately to the appropriate campus authorities and my supervisor,” Harbaugh said. “When this occurs, I cooperate fully and do everything to support the established process.”
In November 2021, after seeing one of her daughter's assailants making plays against Ohio State, Moffett wrote one last desperate letter to Harbaugh and the Michigan athletic department.
“t was an experience so traumatic that it devastated her life,” Moffett wrote. “And those responsible, continue on in their lives and playing football as if nothing ever happened. No one cares or will do anything about it.”
Harbaugh, “hyper vigilant” as always, ignored her letter.
