A spokesperson with Michigan State University has confirmed that football staffer Curtis Blackwell will no longer be employed with the school and involved with the program.
MSU cutting ties with football recruiting staffer Curtis Blackwell https://t.co/d6BjY2XXMT
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) May 31, 2017
Blackwell, whose title was “director of college advancement and performance” with the program, was suspended with pay back in early February amid the sexual assault investigation surrounding three unidentified football players and one staffer. His contract was originally set to expire on March 31, but was given two one-month extensions prior to Tuesday.
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No additional details have been made public regarding the sexual assault investigation, which is still ongoing with both MSU Police and the Ingham County Prosecutors’ Office. Campus police has request warrants for arrests to be made, but no charges have been made thus far.
Blackwell, 39 years of age and a graduate of Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, was hired by Dantonio back in August in 2013 in a non-coaching position to aid in coordinating the program’s recruiting efforts and develop performance on and off the field. He is also the founder of the ‘Sound Mind, Sound Body’ nationwide football camps.
According to a letter obtained by the Free Press from MSU athletic director Mark Hollis through Blackwell’s files, Hollis ordered Blackwell to “not have any contact with MSU athletes or recruits on or off campus during his suspension” and was “not permitted to attend department events or functions.”
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This becomes the latest news with not only the specific ongoing sexual assault investigation, but a laundry list of off-the-field events surrounding the program going back to October of 2016. It was announced just last week that the school had formally finished conducting its own Title IX investigation regarding the incident. And just last month, current players were permitted by the school to speak with the media about the investigation for the first time.
