Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins sent an e-mail to students, faculty, staff and alumni that says the school failed to protect a student videographer who was killed, according to a report from the Associated Press.
Declan Sullivan died Oct. 27 when a hydraulic scissor lift he was on toppled over while he was filming practice on a day when winds gusted to more than 50 miles per hour.
The e-mail was sent Friday afternoon saying that the school and he as president are responsible. He also wrote that words cannot express the school's sorrow to the Sullivan family and to all involved, according to the AP.
The university also announced Friday that it would turn over its findings and recommendations from its internal investigation into the accident to Peter Likins, the former president of the University of Arizona.
"In selecting someone to review our investigation, I sought an individual experienced in higher education, with an impeccable reputation for integrity, intellect and independence," Jenkins said in a news release. "In Dr. Likins, we are fortunate to have just such a man. He brings numerous credentials to this assignment: as a world-renowned engineer; as a university administrator who served as provost at Columbia and president at Lehigh and Arizona; as a highly regarded member of numerous NCAA committees; and as a member of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.
"Investigations and external reviews such as this take time, but I assure you that, when complete, we will issue a public report on the outcome, including information on the events of the afternoon of Oct. 27, any institutional ramifications, and recommendations for safety policies in the future."
Likins was president at the University of Arizona from 1997 to 2006. He was also president of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., for 15 years and was provost at Columbia University, where he also was a professor and dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science
Likins earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at Stanford, a master's degree in civil engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in engineering mechanics at Stanford.
He was a member of the Knight Commission from 2004 until his retirement and served on the NCAA Board of Directors and as a charter member of the NCAA Presidents' Commission.
