The University of Utah has placed head women's gymnastics coach Tom Farden on paid administrative leave following allegations of abuse from former team members. This decision, announced on Nov. 12, comes in the wake of statements by former gymnasts Kara Eaker and Kim Tessen, who alleged emotional and verbal abuse during their time on the team.

Associate head coach Carly Dockendorf has been appointed interim head coach in Farden's absence, as reported by ESPN. The university's move to place Farden on leave, effective immediately, raises questions about the future of the program.

Eaker, a two-time world champion and former national team member, retired from gymnastics last month after two seasons at Utah. In an Instagram post, she accused an unnamed “overpowering coach” of subjecting her to verbal and emotional abuse. Eaker's candid account details her struggles with severe anxiety, depression, insomnia, panic attacks, PTSD and night terrors, which she attributes to her experiences with the team.

“Instead of receiving positive and encouraging critiques to improve my skills, I was scared to death by the loud and angry outbursts from the coach,” Eaker said on Instagram, referencing specific profanity-laden comments she had heard.

Similarly, Tessen, a standout gymnast at Utah from 2017 to 2020 and the Pac 12's Specialist of the Year in her senior year, echoed Eaker's sentiments in her social media posts. She described the program as “abusive and toxic,” contributing to her crippling depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. In a particularly distressing revelation, Kim Tessen recounted how her concerns were allegedly dismissed by Farden and how she lacked direct support from him.

“Tom decided to address the group instead of me individually,” Tessen said. “We were told, ‘If you don't tell us what's going on, then how do you expect us to know?' I was never offered any real support individually or directly from him. I was only ever asked periodically if I was ‘getting help.'”

The allegations have cast a shadow over Farden's tenure at Utah, where he has been a significant figure since becoming a co-head coach in 2016 and the sole head coach in 2020. His leadership came under scrutiny following these accusations, despite a recent investigation by the law firm Husch Blackwell. The investigation concluded in September and found no evidence of Farden engaging in severe, pervasive or egregious acts of emotional or verbal abuse as defined by SafeSport Code. However, it did acknowledge that Farden likely made a derogatory comment to a team member and exhibited frustrated behavior, like throwing objects, though these actions were not deemed repetitive or severe.

Kara Eaker criticized the investigation, calling it “incomplete at best.” The controversy unfolds as the Utah gymnastics team, a prominent force with nine NCAA team titles and a third-place finish in the 2023 NCAA gymnastics championships, prepares for the upcoming season, set to begin on January 5 against Boise State.