Sherrone Moore Fallout: Accuser Paige Shiver Says She Endured Years Of 'Harassment' At Michigan
Former Michigan assistant Paige Shiver alleges years of manipulation and raises questions about oversight within the Wolverines’ athletic department.
Days after former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore pleaded no-contest to lesser charges in his case of stalking and breaking into the home of his former assistant, the woman at the center of this whole ordeal has finally come forward.
Paige Shiver, who was having an affair with Sherrone Moore while employed by Michigan, did not have her contract renewed with the school last week. Now, for the first time since the incident that followed the firing of Moore, the former assistant to the head coach is now speaking out.
In the moments following his firing, Moore allegedly attempted to break into Shiver home while also accusing her of ruining his career and threatening to take his own life while in her residence.
Attorneys for the State of Michigan and Moore had a preliminary hearing last week that resulted in the former head coach pleading no-contest to charges of malicious use of a telecommunications device in the context of a domestic relationship and trespassing.
And while he will have a hearing in April for the judge to hand down a sentence, it is not expected that Moore will receive any type of actual jail time.
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Now, in the aftermath of this hearing, along with Shiver no longer being employed by Michigan, the former assistant to Sherrone Moore has released a statement through her attorneys, Andrew M. Stroth and Steven A. Hart.
"Our client was forced to endure years of manipulation, harassment, and exploitation by a man who held enormous power over her professional life as the head football coach of one of the nation's most prominent college football programs," Shiver's attorneys stated. "The power imbalance between a powerful head coach and a subordinate employee created an environment where our client felt pressured, intimidated, and unable to escape conduct that should never occur in any workplace-let alone at a public university."
The statement went on to detail her account of what happened after Moore's firing.
"His conduct escalated into an alarming and traumatic episode that led to the criminal charges resolved today (Friday). He entered our client's apartment without permission while behaving in an aggressive and intimidating manner while holding knives and a pair of scissors an event that left our client fearful for her safety and deeply traumatized," Attorneys for Shiver noted.
Paige Shiver Says There Are Other Victims, Wants Investigation To Dig Deeper
When the University of Michigan fired Moore, the school also utilized the same law firm that was investigating the incidents with Shiver to also open a full inquiry into the school's athletic department, related to past instances of trouble with the NCAA and other instances of legal trouble.
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Shiver also implied that there is a possibility of other victims of Moore and additional further inappropriate relationships while at Michigan.
"But this case is about far more than one terrifying incident. It raises urgent and troubling questions about how a powerful figure within a major university athletic program was able to engage in years of inappropriate conduct toward a subordinate without meaningful intervention or oversight," Shiver's attorneys noted in their statement.
"Our client believes strongly that she may not be the only person who experienced inappropriate, coercive, or predatory behavior from this individual."
Where does this go next in terms of Michigan?
That part is still up in the air, as the Chicago-based law firm of Jenner & Block are continuing their investigation into the Michigan athletics department. The outcome could present a number of different outcomes, which could include athletic director Warde Manuel taking a brunt of the punishment.
Either way, the battle between Michigan, Moore and Shiver seems to only be starting, as the former Wolverines head coach awaits the final part of his legal troubles pertaining to his actions immediately following his ouster.