The University canceled the GW softball team’s season Monday after seven games due to multiple injuries that have kept the team off the field since Feb. 29. Amid allegations that head coach Shaunte’ Fremin mentally and physically abused players, the University also hired an independent investigator this week to look into Fremin and the athletic department.

Robert Chernak, senior vice for president Student and Academic Support Services, said GW’s decision to cancel the season was not related to the allegations against Fremin but rather to the health of the players. After University medical staff determined Monday morning that only nine players could take the field, including one whose health was still questionable, officials told the players of their decision in an afternoon meeting.

“After the medical evaluations, a decision was made by the athletic department that it would not be in the best interests of the health of the team to participate in the sport in the spring,” Chernak said, adding that the team will resume play next season. “So that was unrelated to any personal questions related to coaches.”

After a three-week investigation of its own, the University hired Robin Green Harris, an Indianapolis lawyer from the firm Ice Miller, to conduct an independent review of the allegations against Fremin. The Hatchet reported earlier this month that players claimed Fremin coerced them to play through serious injuries against the advice of trainers by threatening their scholarships, while also making them practice beyond the NCAA’s weekly limits, among other charges. Fremin has declined to comment beyond her general denial of the allegations.

Harris, a former director of the NCAA Committee on Infractions, did not return phone calls from The Hatchet Wednesday. Ice Miller was also retained last year by St. Bonaventure, another Atlantic 10 school, when its men’s basketball program was found to have committed NCAA violations.

Chernak said Harris will visit campus to interview athletic department officials, coaches, trainers and players before presenting the findings of her report and making recommendations.

“There might be recommendations in terms of better ways of handling communication between coaches and trainers and the central administration in the athletic office,” Chernak said. “And those procedures could be strengthened, not just for softball, but for other sports as well.”

Although players said they are disappointed by the cancellation of their season – a possibility they were made aware of before spring break – they said the hiring of Harris is a step in the right direction.

“It’s definitely upsetting,” sophomore co-captain Elana Meyers said. “Most of us came here to have the opportunity to play softball here and go to school. Now we don’t have the opportunity this year to do that.”

Freshman outfielder Lisa Cohen said players were “kept in the dark” about GW’s investigation since the first week of March.

“Once the problem was recognized, (GW) took appropriate measures,” she said. “But we should have been informed about what (the administration was doing).”

Parents, some of whom have expressed interest in taking legal action against GW for Fremin’s alleged actions, said they are concerned about what the University is doing to correct the current problems, including players’ eligibility status.

Lynda Culp, the mother of freshman pitcher Gabby Culp and a former college administrator, said she hopes the University will work to keep the softball program going.

“A reasonable compromise would be to red-shirt all of the girls on the team,” she said. “My other concern is that we as parents should do everything in our power to make sure the GW softball team is a viable entity … We can’t do that by picking it apart.”

Chernak said that while the University will wait until Harris completes her investigation before taking further action, GW will not disband the team.

“Softball is something the University has invested in,” he said. “(GW) built a softball field at Mount Vernon, a pretty nice facility with the intention of expanding our women’s athletic program. So this is a temporary setback, but I think it’s correctable, and I think there are remedies to move forward with.”

-Jeff Nelson contributed to this report.