Boston University has responded to Call Her Daddy star Alex Cooper’s sexual harassment allegations against the school’s former head women’s soccer coach, Nancy Feldman.
Cooper, 30, who played on the Division One BU soccer team for three seasons from 2013 to 2015, made the accusations in her new documentary, Call Her Alex, which was released Tuesday on Hulu.
The school has since broken its silence on the podcaster’s claims, writing in a statement, per People: “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,” the statement concluded.
In the two-part docuseries, Cooper returned to her alma mater for the first time since her 2017 graduation.
As she walked out on the field in the documentary, she tearfully remembered: “When I look back at that time in my life, I was scared, hopeless.
“I had no resources and no options, and the minute I left that campus I was so determined to find a way where no one could ever silence me again,” she said. “I felt a lot of anger — anger at my coach, anger at my school, and anger at the system that allowed this to happen.
“I don’t think anyone could’ve prepared me for the lasting effects that came from this experience,” Cooper said, adding of Feldman: “She turned something that I loved so much into something extremely painful.”
She explained that at the time, she was “determined to make a name for myself in that field.”
“So when my coach started to pay extra attention to me, I figured it was probably because I was playing well,” she shared.
“My sophomore year, everything really shifted. I started to notice her really starting to fixate on me way more than any other teammate of mine,” Cooper continued. “And it was confusing because the focus wasn’t like, ‘You’re doing so well. Let’s get you on the field. You’re going to be a starter.’ It was all based in her wanting to know who I was dating, her making comments about my body, and her always wanting to be alone with me.”
Cooper claimed Feldman would “rewind my tape every five seconds” and comment on “my hair and body,” saying: “‘Look at those legs. Everybody look at Alex in her uniform.’”
She further alleged that during pre-season, Feldman would “pull me in, just be staring at me, sit next to me on the couch, put her hand on my thigh.”
“I felt so deeply uncomfortable,” Cooper said, sharing that she felt forced to comply because she was attending the university on a full-tuition scholarship. “If I didn’t follow this woman’s rules, I was gone,” Cooper said.
Feldman was hired as Boston University’s first women’s soccer coach in 1995. During her time there, she “transformed the program from club-level to a team that is consistently competing against the nation’s top squads,” according to BU’s website. She retired from her position in 2022.
Feldman did not respond to The Independent’s request for comment.
Call Her Alex, out now on Hulu, follows the podcast star as she prepares for her first live tour. It traces “Cooper’s evolution from a self-conscious kid growing up in Pennsylvania to the voice behind Call Her Daddy, the global hit podcast that redefined the conversation for women everywhere,” according to an official logline.
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