Mary Ellen Gillespie resigns as UHart Athletic Director

Last Friday evening, University of Hartford Athletic director Mary Ellen Gillespie resigned from her current position at the university, after being placed on Administrative leave of absence for just over a few weeks by the university back on September 27, 2019.

Amidst pressure from recent events happening and unfolding, Gillespie decided the best possible option was for herself to be let go from her current role at the school. All this was revealed after an email allegedly appeared, that was sent to the athletic department staff members by school president, Greg Woodward. An email that was obtained and released by The Courant, located in Hartford, Connecticut. In the email by president Woodward, he writes, “I have recently accepted her formal resignation.”

Gillespie will be replaced by interim director of athletics, Maria Feely. The school has not formally responded to the latest developments unfolding since news broke out on Friday afternoon. Gillespie has been for the last month on leave from her duties, according to several news outlets in the greater Hartford area.

Mary Ellen Gillespie was hired in 2017 after serving the same position as athletic director since 2013 at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay school. All this news comes after a former volleyball player and star of the team at the University of Hartford filed a lawsuit against the coach of the women’s volleyball, for citing that her coach berated, poked fun, and sexually harassed her on and off the court of soccer. Making the former star of soccer to develop an eating disorder, depression, anxiety, leading her to drop out of school, and to leave a sport that she loves. There are no reports that the suits are in connection to Gillespie’s former status as athletic director at the University of Hartford, it’s also unclear if any more positions within the university will be switch around in the athletic department in-light of recent events happening at the school over the last two months.

The university hasn’t announced whether acting interim director, Maria Feely, will be the newest athletic director in regards of Gillespie stepping down.

Mary Ellen Gillespie was a graduate from the State University of New York, SUNY Plattsburgh with a bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In addition to her past job positions, she also serves as the associate director of athletics at Bowling Green State University in Toledo, Ohio. A position in-which she served from 2006-2013, before moving on to another school and eventually ended-up at the University of Hartford.

PHOTO CREDIT: BILL SCOTT