Indiana Investigating Knight Again

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--Indiana University is investigating an accusation that basketball coach Bob Knight grabbed and cursed at a student who addressed him by his last name.<br><br>The school regards the matter

Friday, September 8th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--Indiana University is investigating an accusation that basketball coach Bob Knight grabbed and cursed at a student who addressed him by his last name.

The school regards the matter as "extraordinarily serious," university spokesman Christopher Simpson told The Associated Press on Friday.

ESPN reported the stepfather of the 19-year-old student told the cable network of the confrontation outside Assembly Hall. He said Knight apparently felt the student was disrespectful.

The network identified the student's stepfather as Mark Shaw, although the student was not identified.

Shaw told the network his stepson was picking up student football tickets when he saw Knight enter the building. The student reportedly addressed Knight by saying, "Hey, what's up Knight?"

Shaw said Knight then grabbed his stepson by the right arm, whirled him around and began cursing him.

Shaw said his stepson and four witnesses will meet with campus police Friday as part of an investigation, ESPN reported. Simpson would neither confirm nor deny that report.

Knight must adhere to a "zero tolerance" policy following last spring's accusations by a former player who said the coach choked him during a practice in 1997.

Other accusations of abuse surfaced. In May, school president Myles Brand suspended Knight for three games in the 2000-01 season, fined him $30,000 and warned him any future instances of unacceptable behavior could result in his immediate firing.

Simpson would not say whether this latest accusation could affect Knight's status with the university.

Knight was not immediately available for comment. A message was left on his office answering machine

Athletic director Clarence Doninger would have no comment, a secretary said.