The former UC Berkeley student who made explosive sexual assault allegations against the Cal football team is now speaking out about what happened to her.
In an appearance on The Today Show on Thursday, Paige Cornelius, 20, said her complaint against the university's athletic department isn't about money. Rather, she said she wants respect for all women and the culture of "toxic masculinity" to end.
“It’s not just in Hollywood anymore,” Cornelius said. “It’s in football. It’s always been in sports, and now it’s at Cal.”
Last week, Cornelius wrote on Facebook that two former Cal football coaches had sexually harassed her while she was a sports medicine intern, including one who threatened to have her fired if she didn't have sex with him. Both of those volunteer coaches are no longer with the team.
Last Friday, Cal Head Coach Justin Wilcox told reporters the allegations were tough to hear.
“This cuts to the core. It hurts really bad. We want to do everything we can as a program to support the investigation where people can be held accountable for their actions,” Wilcox said.
Other female employees tell NBC News the culture in Cal's athletics program is quote "ripe with daily harassment."
Cornelius' allegations have been turned over to the university's Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination.
