Latest news with #NancyFeldman
Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ex-Boston University soccer coach accused by Alex Cooper of sexual harassment hit by new abuse allegations
Boston University have been hit by fresh allegations against one of their former soccer coaches - just weeks after Alex Cooper's claims about the staff member. The allegations come just weeks after 'Call Her Daddy' host Cooper claimed she was sexually harassed by the school's long-time former coach, Nancy Feldman. The allegations from Cooper, who played at the school from 2013-15, were revealed in her newly-released Hulu documentary, 'Call Me Alex.' at the start of the month. The University have since responded to Cooper's claims and insisted they 'remain committed to fostering a safe and secure campus environment'. However, a new bombshell interview with former BU soccer star Sophia Woodland has now emerged. In it, she claims that Feldman was a 'manipulator'. In an interview with PEOPLE, she explained: 'The first word that comes to mind is just 'horrible'. She is awful. She, I think, puts on a really good front.' 'During the recruiting process, everybody would talk about how amazing she was. The second I got to school, I was like, 'I've been conned. This is not the same person that I committed under.' Woodland continued: 'I would go so far as to say she's an abuser and manipulator.' 'A lot of what I sort of faced was just psychological abuse and manipulation tactics and this intimidation, psychological intimidation, tactic from her that had a lot to do with my body. But I never really felt comfortable. It was almost humiliating.' The former BU Women's soccer player insisted that, unlike Cooper, she 'didn't face sexual harassment', from Feldman but 'never really felt comfortable'. She continued: 'My freshman and sophomore year, from the second I got there, it was always, always about my body. 'And I was like, 'Okay, why did you recruit me then? Why am I even here?' Because you knew what my body looked like.' 'She was like, 'I want you to work with our strength coach and you need to gain 30 to 40 pounds and weigh as much as so-and-so. She would constantly bring up one teammate, who also played my position.' She later recalled an incident, while at University, which served as a moment of realization as the team revealed their own ordeal with Feldman. Woodland revealed how - in the wake of the death of Stanford soccer player Katie Meyer in 2022 - several BU soccer players sought out session with the university's psychologist. However, what began as a discussion over Meyer's tragic death quickly spiraled into the players detailing their own, individual experiences with Feldman. 'After 10 minutes, the conversation went from talking about [Katie's] suicide to our own experiences with Nancy and the abuse that a lot of people faced,' she remembers. 'It got so bad to where every single one of us went around the room and were sharing things that were said to us personally in meetings over the years. And we were all just crying, hearing each other's stories.' Responding to Cooper's initial allegations earlier this month, the University wrote; 'Boston University has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment. 'We have a robust system of resources, support and staff dedicated to student wellbeing and a thorough reporting process through our Equal Opportunity Office. 'We encourage members of our community to report any concerns, and we remain committed to fostering a safe and secure campus environment for all.' In her own telling of her experience, Cooper said in her documentary that her complaints were dismissed by school officials. Daily Mail have reached out to Boston University officials for comment. Feldman coached the BU Terriers since 1995, when the school first adopted women's soccer as a varsity sport, until 2022. Meanwhile, on Thursday, a second ex-Boston University women's soccer coach was accused of sexual harassment. According to the Boston Globe, Feldman's former assistant coach Casey Brown is facing similar accusations from soccer player Shayla Brown. Shayla, who was also a student-athlete at the university, reportedly contacted the confidential ethics hotline about Brown on September 14, 2024, before discussing another player's alleged ordeal with the team's sports psychologist four days later. 'The coach, she said, was acting inappropriately toward one of BU's key players, focusing excessively on her and trying to manipulate her in ways that were distressing to the player and her teammates,' the Boston Globe noted.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Boston University hit by more sexual harassment claims just weeks after Alex Cooper's allegations
A second ex-Boston University women's soccer coach has been accused of sexual harassment just weeks after Alex Cooper's bombshell claims were made public. Cooper, who played at the school from 2013-15, made shock allegations against longtime head coach Nancy Feldman in her newly-released Hulu documentary, 'Call Me Alex', earlier this month. The Call Her Daddy podcast host described the harassment as 'extremely painful' and claims it has had 'lasting effects' on her to this day, while she also alleges that her concerns were dismissed by school officials. And according to the Boston Globe, Feldman's former assistant coach Casey Brown is facing similar accusations from soccer player Shayla Brown. Shayla, who was also a student-athlete at the university, reportedly contacted the confidential ethics hotline about Brown on September 14, 2024, before discussing another player's alleged ordeal with the team's sports psychologist four days later. 'The coach, she said, was acting inappropriately toward one of BU's key players, focusing excessively on her and trying to manipulate her in ways that were distressing to the player and her teammates,' the Boston Globe noted. 'This was not a case of a coach coddling a prized player, Shayla Brown said. Her teammate was 'being groomed,' she told the psychologist.' The next day Shayla and 17 other BU women's soccer players are said to have taken their claims to the school's Equal Opportunity Office. They reportedly noted that one of their teammates, who asked not to be identified, also shared her own experience with school officials after alleging that she too had been targeted. 'She recalled navigating a stream of awkward texts, unsettling invitations and unwanted attention,' the report claims. After succeeding Feldman as head coach in 2022, Brown stepped down from her position in December after Boston University launched an investigation into the complaints, despite the school claiming the probe found 'there were no BU policy violations and no evidence of sexual harassment.' 'I firmly object to the attack on my character and the way my conduct has been portrayed,' Brown also said. 'The examples used against me are selective, out of context, and open to interpretation, yet they're being presented as fact. I reject that and I question why, despite a clear investigative outcome, these claims are still being amplified. 'I stand by my record and the values that shape my work as a coach.' has reached out to Boston University for comment. Following her astonishing claims, TMZ Sports reported earlier this month that several ex-BU women's players insist their interactions with Feldman were drastically different to Cooper's. A letter from a representative of BU Women's Soccer alumni, which was signed by 99 former Terriers stars, stated that while they do not want to 'diminish or discredit anyone's individual experience,' they felt obliged to share their own experiences as a 'united group.' The group claimed in the letter that they 'categorically never felt unsafe' under Feldman's leadership, before adding: 'We were never at risk of or witness to inappropriate behavior or anything that could be characterized as sexual harassment. 'As a leader, she approached every day with professionalism, making decisions in service of the success of the team.' Players spanning several decades reportedly signed the letter, which added that Feldman's influence didn't end after their collegiate careers. 'She has remained an important part of our lives, and we shall stand by her,' they said.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Yahoo
Boston University breaks silence after Alex Cooper accuses former soccer coach of sexual harassment
Boston University has issued a statement after Alex Cooper alleged that her former soccer coach at the college had sexually harassed her. The 'Call Her Daddy' podcast host, 30, made the startling allegations in a Hulu documentary that aired last week, saying she endured three years of escalating sexual harassment at the hands of former head coach Nancy Feldman. In response, the university told The Post it has a 'zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment.' 'We have a robust system of resources, support and staff dedicated to student wellbeing and a thorough reporting process through our Equal Opportunity Office,' it said in a statement. 'We encourage members of our community to report any concerns, and we remain committed to fostering a safe and secure campus environment for all.' Cooper's revelation in the new Hulu doc, 'Call Her Alex,' came 10 years after she claimed to have suffered through the ordeal. 'I felt a lot of anger — anger at my coach, anger at my school, and anger at the system that allowed this to happen,' the podcast host said in the documentary. 'I don't think anyone could've prepared me for the lasting effects that came from this experience. She turned something that I loved so much into something extremely painful.' Feldman coached BU's women's soccer team for 22 years before she retired in 2022, but Cooper said the former coach started to 'fixate on me way more than any other teammate of mine' during her sophomore season. Cooper was a member of the Terriers women's soccer program from 2013-'15. During her time at the university, Cooper claims that Feldman took an uncomfortable interest in her personal life and would often make comments about her body. On one occasion, Cooper claims, her former coach had asked if she had sex the previous night. Elsewhere, the media mogul said Feldman would try to get her alone, put a hand on her thigh and stare at her — despite trying to 'resist.' In the documentary, Cooper claimed that university officials told her family that they would not fire Feldman, despite her and her loved ones repeatedly raising concerns about the coach. Copper added that the school did not investigate her claims, instead allowing her to keep her full soccer scholarship. Feldman compiled 418 victories to rank 22nd all-time among NCAA women's soccer coaches and was named conference coach of the year 12 times. She was the program's only coach since 1995, when it became a varsity sport. Cooper's Hulu docuseries premiered at the Tribeca Festival in NYC. During a Q&A at the event, the media star detailed her allegations against Feldman. 'The minute I stepped back on that field, I felt so small,' she said Sunday. 'I just felt like I was 18 years old again, and I was in a situation with someone in a position of power who abused their power, and I felt like I wasn't the 'Call Her Daddy' girl. 'I wasn't someone who had money and influence or whatever,' she went on. 'I was just another woman who experienced harassment on a level that changed my life forever and took away the thing I loved the most.'
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nearly 100 former Boston U soccer players unite in support of coach against Alex Cooper's sexual harassment claims
Boston University's soccer players are backing the team's former longtime soccer coach, Nancy Feldman, after Alex Cooper made damning allegations against her. Cooper, host of the popular 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, claimed in a Hulu documentary that Feldman sexually harassed her and alleged that school officials ignored her when she brought it to their attention. Ninety-nine former Terriers stars came forward as a 'united group' to share their own experiences with Feldman, who retired after in April 2022. They said as a group that they 'categorically never felt unsafe,' according to a letter obtained by TMZ. 'We were never at risk of or witness to inappropriate behavior or anything that could be characterized as sexual harassment,' the letter read. 'As a leader, she approached every day with professionalism, making decisions in service of the success of the team. [Feldman] has remained an important part of our lives, and we shall stand by her.' Cooper claimed that Feldman asked inappropriate questions about her love life in the mid-2010s, and she alleged that she was benched for not disclosing certain intimate information. Her family then approached school officials over the matter, but nothing came of it. 'I felt a lot of anger — anger at my coach, anger at my school, and anger at the system that allowed this to happen,' Cooper said in the doc. Cooper claims that she considered filing a lawsuit over the alleged harassment but ultimately chose not to. Boston University released a statement last week denying any wrongdoing. 'Boston University has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment,' the statement read. 'We have a robust system of resources, support and staff dedicated to student wellbeing and a thorough reporting process through our Equal Opportunity Office. 'We encourage members of our community to report any concerns, and we remain committed to fostering a safe and secure campus environment for all.' Cooper was a midfielder for Boston University from 2013-15 and has since become one of the most popular podcasters in the country. Her Unwell Network and 'Call Her Daddy' podcast vaulted her into stardom since her departure from Barstool Sports in 2021.
National Post
17-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Nearly 100 ex-players back coach over sexual harassment claim by Call Her Daddy's Alex Cooper
If Alex Cooper was hoping her claims of sexual harassment against her former Boston University soccer coach would be a rallying cry, it was — but not as she probably intended. Article content After the star host of the Call Her Daddy podcast made the bombshell claims against Nancy Feldman, nearly 100 former players have united to stand behind the retired Terriers coach. Article content Article content In a letter signed by 99 former Terriers players, the group of BU Women's Soccer alumni decried the allegations made by Cooper in her recently released documentary, Call Her Alex. Article content In a letter first obtained by TMZ, the women wrote that they 'categorically never felt unsafe,' under Feldman, who retired in 2022. Article content 'We were never at risk of or witness to inappropriate behaviour or anything that could be characterized as sexual harassment,' the letter read. Article content 'As a leader, she approached every day with professionalism, making decisions in service of the success of the team. (Feldman) has remained an important part of our lives, and we shall stand by her.' Article content Cooper was a member of the Terriers from 2013-15, when Feldman allegedly took an interest in her and would make uncomfortable comments about her body and her personal life — including asking Cooper if she had been sexually active the previous night. Article content Cooper also claims that the school did nothing when her and her family approached Boston University officials about Feldman. She says that the school told her that they would not fire the coach, but Cooper could keep her full soccer scholarship despite leaving the team. Article content Article content Article content 'Boston University has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment,' the statement read. 'We have a robust system of resources, support and staff dedicated to student wellbeing and a thorough reporting process through our Equal Opportunity Office. Article content 'We encourage members of our community to report any concerns, and we remain committed to fostering a safe and secure campus environment for all.' Article content Cooper also addressed the claims during a Q&A session after the film's premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this month. Article content 'During the filming of this documentary, I found out that the harassment and abuse of power is still happening on the campus of Boston University, and I spoke to one of the victims, and hearing her story was horrific, and I knew in that moment, if I don't speak about this, it's going to continue happening,' Cooper said, according to Deadline. Article content
