Two athletic executives from Yale University reportedly purchased a home together a year prior to one of them being hired by the institution, as revealed through a deed obtained by Fox News Digital.
There are allegations from former colleagues that the two officials were involved in a romantic relationship and that a former administrator resigned to create a position for one of his partners.
Annmarie Gurrieri, Yale’s assistant executive director and chief operating officer for athletics, along with Mary Beldo, the associate director of athletics, made the home purchase in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2018. Beldo was subsequently hired by Yale in April 2019.
Chung, Gurrieri, and Berdo had previously worked together at Colgate University’s athletic department. Chung was appointed as the athletic director at Yale in February 2018 and began in July of that year. Gurrieri started around the same time as well.
Reports from former employees suggest the athletics department faced limitations in staffing to hire Berdo while also hiring Gurrieri. However, it appears that the previous senior associate athletic director reluctantly accepted a voluntary retirement offer shortly before Berdo’s hiring, which occurred soon after the former administrator was let go.
A former official indicated that during October 2018, pressure was applied to the senior associate athletic director to accept the severance package. Following the notice period, Mary Beldo was hired.
Keith Alleyne, a former head coach for men’s hockey at Yale, supported the claims of pressure to resign, aligning with the accounts from other athletics department officials.
While some sources stated Gurrieri had no role in Berdo’s hiring process, there remain questions regarding the circumstances surrounding Berdo’s quick acquisition from Colgate.
Yale representatives declined to comment on specific personnel matters but assured that the university maintains strong human resources policies and disclosure practices.
Before joining Yale, Berdo was a senior associate athletic director at Colgate and had experience with NCAA National Headquarters and the University of Michigan. Interestingly, she played basketball at the University of Iowa.
Another former Yale Athletics official mentioned that during the initial phase of Chung’s tenure, she only had Gurrieri as a coach. Yet, doubts linger regarding whether Berdo was given preferential treatment in her hiring process, as it seemed to have been predetermined.
Fox News Digital attempted to contact Gurrieri and Berdo, but did not receive any responses.
Documented letters from Alleyne to Yale’s president allege a “toxic environment” within Yale’s sports teams, echoing concerns from multiple head coaches about the culture in the department. Alleyne expressed worries that a fear-driven atmosphere might hinder honest feedback regarding the athletic director’s contract extension.
In recent issues involving former strength and conditioning coach Thomas Newman, claims have surfaced regarding unauthorized recordings made by a former employee. While Gurrieri and Chun were mentioned in connection to this, their accountability for the recordings remains unproven.
Newman’s legal representation has sought a dialogue for reconciliation with the university regarding disputes but has not initiated any legal action against Yale. The university’s previous deputy general counsel acknowledged a third party’s involvement in the recordings, although Yale has disputed many other claims made by Newman’s attorney.
Yale provided Newman’s lawyer with relevant audio files, and policies regarding recordings within the university context emphasize the requirement for consent from all meeting participants.
Further communication between Newman’s representatives and Yale has yet to be confirmed, although copies of correspondence have been provided to substantiate the interactions.
