Recently departed UAF Associate Athletics director and Fairbanks School Board elect Kip Harmon has a history of harassing women spanning several years, according to a police report obtained by the Sun Star through an open records request.

Harmon resigned from his UAF position Friday, Oct. 16, and declined his seat on the school board on Oct. 20.  UAF Police received a complaint on Oct. 13, from a woman who claimed that Harmon had impersonated a female physical fitness expert.

The report lists six women who have contacted the police with complaints against Harmon.  The complaints range from getting hundreds of unsolicited emails, to inappropriate touching and comments.  Harmon reportedly emailed one student athlete "almost everyday," wanting to talk about arm wrestling, weight training, and physical fitness.

Harmon admitted in a press conference Wednesday that he used an email alias to provide professional fitness tips to people for free. The women claim he impersonated a world famous physical fitness trainer and used her persona in asking them to have Harmon "obtain their measurements" and talk them into having arm wrestling matches.

"I sincerely apologize to my family, to (UAF) and anyone who believes they may have been offended or let down by me," said Harmon in the press conference.

Harmon, respected for his public service, also came into contact with the women through his position at Chamber of Commerce, while working for the Red Cross, and even while manning a booth at last year's Tanana Valley State Fair.

Most of the complaints stem from Harmon sending unsolicited emails to women, commenting on their physical fitness, and asking them if they would like to be put in contact with a semi-professional female body builder named Marianna Komlos, whom he "used to date in college."  When the women made contact with 'Komlos', they were asked to have Harmon help them obtain their measurements or challenge him to arm wrestle.

'Komlos' used a free email address from excite.com.  According to the web portal and email provider, the email account was created only a month before Harmon started giving it out to female athletes.

"Kip and I actually met arm wrestling in a bar," writes 'Komlos' in an email "I can give you some great tips that Kip doesn't know about which are sure to help you beat the creampuff."

"I asked (Harmon) about you," the emails said, "and he said that you are probably too strong for him.  I think he's chicken.  You should challenge him to arm wrestle him just to humiliate him."

The woman who filed the report later found out that Komlos had lost her life to breast cancer months before she had supposedly written two emails.

Some of the complaints date back to the fall of 2001.

Another woman said Harmon harassed her while working as a student employee for the UAF Athletics Department in 2001.  She had recently begun to work out, and Harmon approached her and asked if she could "flex her arm muscles for him".  She did, and Harmon felt her arm.  She quit working for the Athletics Department a short time later, but Harmon called her mother to obtain her email address.  She then received an email from him soliciting for Komlos' services, and inviting her to lunch.  She never answered Harmon's email, and never heard from him again.

A woman who worked for a Fairbanks company began receiving "strange emails" from Harmon, whom she met while attempting to gain the Athletics Department as a client.  She categorized herself as being a "casual acquaintance" of his. While at a Chamber of Commerce meeting during February/March of 2001, Harmon came up to her and squeezed her biceps, stating that she "looked really good" and that "she looked like she was in good shape."  The next day, Harmon began emailing his Komlos story of wanting to help set up a body building program.  The woman said in the report that she obtained her measurements herself, but at one point did allow Harmon to measure her again, as 'Komlos' had instructed.

The woman continued email correspondence with 'Komlos' for a couple of weeks but eventually came to an "intuitive decision" that Harmon was pretending to be Komlos and ended the correspondence.

Over a year ago, UAF Human Resources conducted a two-hour staff meeting to teach about sexual harassment and how to report it, according to the police report filed Oct. 13. The report stated that it was the common belief that the meeting was held because of Kip Harmon. Some emails he had sent were allegedly collected after the training and given to Human Resources.

The complainant believed that the meeting was the result of an incident that occurred approximately one year ago. A student worker was insulted by a comment Harmon had made while she was being photographed by a UAF Athletics Department Media Relations photographer whom she did not know.  The photographer was having trouble with his camera, when Harmon quipped, "Don't worry, she's used to this (delay), only most of the time with half her clothes off."

She had no idea where the comment came from, and because it was said in front of someone she didn't know she was highly offended.

Police Chief Terry Vrabec, in the report, said that Harmon "was a bit concerned about what might be on his computer at work.  He told me that he was not sure how much material was on his computer but he was very adamant that there was nothing 'threatening' or like child porn."

The real Marianne Komlos was a body builder, model, and, for a short time, a wrestler for WWE.  Many websites purport to offer photos of her naked.  She died of breast cancer on Sept. 26, 2004.  

Human Resources Director Carolyn Chapman said Monday the department has ended investigation of the case and that no action was taken.

The real Marianna Komlos

photo courtesy femalemuscle.com

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