The Official Athletic Site of the LSU, partner of WMT Digital. All victims must be heard and supported, and we pledge to stand with them to help end all forms of sexual and domestic abuse.". Davis participated in the teams first practice on Aug. 4, according to news reports. "A single instance of abuse or sexual violence is one too many.". A judge sentenced him to 18 months of prison and credited him for time served and suspended most of the remaining jail time. These were my teammates and closest friends at the time, and I needed their support. Johnson said that Sell later told her the senior ripped up the letter and threw it away, thinking the gesture was funny and childish. Phone records the father shared with USA TODAY corroborate his calls to Mike Sell on two days during that time. In January 2017, the second semester of his freshman year, Davis began dating an LSU womens tennis player not the same one who said Guice raped her. When contacted by a reporter, Dudley said he would call back later. / She thought her coach could help. I couldnt believe it. An institution has 90 days to address the NOA findings. While her work recruiting top athletes to come to LSU was integral to her job as the associate athletic director of football recruiting and alumni relations, she said that protecting the school from itself became a part of what I had to do.. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. is one of the most well-known analysts in the country and he published his final list on Tuesday. LSU women's tennis players also had their cases highlighted in the USA Today report. This year, USA TODAY reporters investigating two rape allegations against Guice one by a womans tennis player, the other by a student who was not an athlete filed a public records request with LSU seeking all campus police reports involving him. She would lie to some girls and talk behind their backs and tell them that one girl on the team would say something bad about the other just to start hostility. November 19, 2020, 6:39 AM. But they also have ruined my life when all I did was my job. A football player and roommate of Davis said he knew of the violence and that assistant football coach Mickey Joseph would call him each week asking if the woman was at his and Davis apartment. Van Lith, a First Team All . Early in the spring 2016 semester, a member of the LSU diving team told her coach and an athletic department administrator that Guice raped her friend after shed passed out drunk at a party. His five-business-day appeal deadline came and went, and the women thought the ordeal was over. She said she did not report the incident herself, but Lewis said she reported it to Segar, according to the lawsuit. She told an LSU police detective the full version two months later, records show. 737K followers. She claims in her lawsuit that she endured years of discrimination and mistreatment lack of equal compensation, sexual improprieties and harassment stemming from being a Black woman who served as a whistleblower of bad behavior. Both were arrested. College softball expert roundtable: Who has the most to prove and who can stop Oklahoma? LSU says it has completed 17 of the recommendations. After months of mounting evidence of Davis violence, Jonathan Sanders, who runs LSUs student judicial affairs, called Davis in for an interview on July 11. BATON ROUGE, La. Orgeron declined to answer. The former players father said Sell was constantly focused on his daughters weight if she was losing weight, gaining too much weight, if she was too fast or too slow. More: NCAA looks the other way as college athletes punished for sex offenses play on. April 26, 2023 6:18 pm ET. They confirmed to The Reveille that Sell knew one of her players had been domestically abused in fall 2012, though it is unclear if she reported the alleged assault as mandated by Title IX laws. She decided to let it go. Miles was directed to avoid interacting with student workers in 2013 which, according to Lewis lawsuit, happened because administrators were aware of her reports and he was eventually fired three years later. The point isnt that I have to see him again;the point is that he did this and nothing happened.. This, despite the fact that Brennan never pressed charges nor does she intend to and the campus police had never shared the case with prosecutors, the DAs office said. On July 9, 2016, Brennan, a student who worked part-time in LSUs football recruiting office, met Guice at Bogies bar in Tigerland, an area about a mile from campus popular with students for socializing and drinking. follow. The Nassau, Bahamas, now owns both the . In the first incident, the woman went to Davis' house to retrieve personal items and he allegedly punched her in the stomach. I have no idea, she said. Davis drove the victim to an area on Perkins road and threw her phone out the window. He described the calls as tattling., I think it hurt her mental health to be treated like that by Julia [Sell], he said. Lastly, I would like to add that during the criminal case regarding the allegations I made, Coach Sell instructed the tennis team to stay away from me. The 5-foot-7 guard is joining Kim Mulkey's 2023 national championship team. Title IX is the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. Another former player who witnessed Sells favoritism during her time on the team attested to Frankenbergers stories. The 6-foot-1 LSU signee becomes just the fifth Louisiana Clinched a 4-2 win for Illinois over No. I think theyre making decisions that are best for the success of the program, and, theyre making the decision to put the safety and well-being of other students behind a players ability to play on a Saturday afternoon.. Got a question? The father shared the same information with an LSU police detective in August 2018, a police report shows. As part of a broader crackdown on universities for mishandling sexual violence, the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights launched a sex-discrimination investigation into LSU in August 2015, after a woman filed a complaint saying that no one informed her of her Title IX options when she reported her sexual assault to campus police. Many universities operate from a fear of being sued in Title IX cases, said Sarah Nesbitt, a policy and advocacy organizer for the nonprofit, Know Your IX, citing a huge uptick in lawsuits filed by disciplined male students against their universities in the past five years. As the victim exited the vehicle Davis attempted to abandon her. The league suspended him for six weeks for violating the personal conduct policy. The most comprehensive coverage of LSU Women's Tennis on the web with highlights, scores, game summaries, schedule and rosters. That summer, a female student told two senior athletics administrators that Guice took a partially nude photograph of her without her permission, and then shared it with a team equipment manager and possibly others. I was scared, the woman said. We provide education, training and resources to combat violence, sexual misconduct, and inequality, Orgeron said in his statement. RICO cases are usually associated with organized crime, and have never before been seen in an NCAA case. LSU in June 2019 found the frat member responsible for sexually assaulting both women, case records the women shared with USA TODAY show. Official Fan Page for the LSU Women's Tennis Team. For obvious reasons, I did not do that, Andries said. We are unwavering in our commitment to respond promptly to any reports of misconduct, to investigate these reports in a manner that is fair and equitable, to support victims of sexual assault, and to protect the privacy of our students according to the law, the statement said. Lewis also said she was informed by LSUs general counsel, Winston DeCuir, that she could not accept an invitation to testify at a hearing for the Committee on Women and Children, a standing committee commissioned after the release of the Husch Blackwell report. At this point, I will try anything for us to make it safe.. The newspaper reported that at least seven LSU officials "had direct knowledge" that Davis was physically abusing his girlfriend but "sat on the information for months, while Davis continued to assault and strangle her.". But the Title IX office never reached out to Brennan, she said. LSU indefinitely suspended him from the team, and a judge ordered him to have no contact with the woman. "All the higher-ups at LSU" knew about it, Dudley told Brennan in a text message, adding that he was called into a meeting about it. She straight up said to him, I dont believe her, the former player said. Furthermore, we would never dismiss or doubt any such allegations. I was like, What are you doing?, And then I got up and just ran down the hallway into Sharons office and just started crying. LSU noted that students are permitted to bring an adviser of their choosing to interviews for support.. LSU repeatedly mishandled sexual assault reports against athletes. The people she doesnt like, she just makes them do extra; she yells at them at practice and is on them about the small, small things.. Lewis has brought similar claims in state court under the Louisiana Racketeering Act. That case has been delayed because of the coronavirus, a court official said. Three years later, in July 2018, investigators dropped the case, saying the victim had stopped communicating with them, records show. Her mother even played tennis for the Tigers in the 90s, and her father played hoops. LSU police arrested Davis a second time on Sept. 16, 2018, after detectives learned he was continuing to see and physically assault his girlfriend, against court orders. A reporter for The Advocate, a newspaper in Baton Rouge, asked Orgeron at a post-scrimmage press conference if he or anyone at LSU knew about the allegations before the arrest. Four members of the LSU Tennis Team separately made Coach Sell aware of these events between May 2017 and August 2018. Frankenberger, a senior during Sells first season, suffered injuries while being coached by Sell. Two chose to use their full names. Sheffer hung up when contacted by a reporter and did not return messages. When football practice for the 2016 season began in early August, Guice was a full participant. . Still in pain three weeks later, the woman went to LSU athletic trainers to get examined. He admitted in court to punching the woman in the stomach and later pushing her onto a couch, which bruised and cut her leg. The next day, Brennan said, she woke up naked and alone in her bed. "I fainted. When the women told LSU, they said, the school informed them that it had granted the frat member another extension, and that he was allowed to remain on campus. The 2023 NFL draft is almost ready to begin, and that means draft analysts are locking in their final projections and Big Boards ahead of the big day. It read, in part: We need sexual harrasment rules that our coaches and staff should be held accountable to. So she said she felt betrayed when she realized her colleagues had lied, she said, to protect the university, which also meant they were sacrificing her to do so. Kennan Johnson wanted to be a Tiger so badly that she cried on her official recruiting visit to LSU. When Mulkey was coaching at Baylor, she pursued one of the nation's top players in guard Hailey Van Lith of Wenatchee, Washington who ultimately signed with Louisville. At least thats what Julia Sell said in a video posted to Facebook in May 2017, shortly after Johnson learned that her dream school had awarded her a scholarship. She said that Sell told the trainers that she and another player on the team were faking their injuries, though both players had played every match and suffered injuries throughout their time on the team. Lewis reportedly told police and USA Today that Davis left her bruised or bleeding on at least six occasions during the year in which they dated. At LSU, Johnson was home. The lawsuit alleges that Wilson exposed himself to her in her office in 2013 and to two other Black women. Brennan said she left LSU after the fall semester. Still, that season the former player said she had her best season. She said Sell never brought up the problems she was facing again, until their postseason meeting. Lewis produced a screenshot of an April 26, 2013, text message to Segar that she said shows her concern about the culture in the athletic department. Privacy Policy Want to share an anonymous news tip? LSU suspended Parrish for one year. LSU policies required campus officials to report the allegation to the Title IX office to conduct an initial investigation. But the details of how LSU handled complaints against the other seven, including two who played key roles on its 2020 national championship team, remain largely secret. Angel Reese #10 of the LSU Lady Tigers speaks during a press conference after LSU beat the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament championship game at on April 2, 2023 . During one season, the player said, she was very unhappy and felt like she wasnt acting like herself and began drinking and taking prescription drugs recreationally. He did not, nor did he return a subsequent voicemail. A former tennis player disputed that, saying she personally reported Davis' abuse to Julia Sell six to seven months before that, at least., Im sure they knew, because I talked to her,the former player said of Julia Sell. She said she dreaded going to practice and playing matches because she felt she wasnt supported, valued or appreciated for who she was. on Oct. 20, 2018. I dont assume that any of these coaches dont understand that whats happening is wrong, Taylor said. Those two women were Johnson and Jade Lewis. No one from LSU ever contacted the third woman about the allegation, the woman told USA TODAY a violation of federal and university Title IX policies. Fantasy Women's Basketball. Luke Dudley, an LSU football equipment manager, says in text messages that Derrius Guice sent him the partially nude photo of Samantha Brennan. The team dances to Callin Baton Rouge. It was a joyous occasion. Despite the womans and the witnesses statements, LSU appears to have taken no formal disciplinary action against Davis. They are working on fixing the problems outlined in the Husch Blackwell report, which are the exact same things I reported were happening. Lewis said LSU women's tennis co-head coach . Former LSU tennis player Jade Lewis is accusing LSU women's tennis coach Julia Sell of looking the other way while multiple people reported in 2017 and 2018 that a football player. She just sent me off to the therapist and tried to put me on antidepressants and thats it, she said. Police arrested Davis in August 2018 on felony charges of second-degree battery against a former girlfriend. The employees called to testify are potential witnesses in the suit. The first time LSU staff followed the law and school policies in reporting Davis was the following year, in April 2018, when he punched the woman again, this time in the ribs. Samantha Brennan, the woman who said Guice photographed her without her consent, said she never wanted to press charges against him. Joseph had also accompanied Davis to his July 11 interview with Sanders, records show. LSU in July 2019 expelled Davis for violating its student conduct code and Title IX policy on multiple occasions during the summer and fall of 2018, disciplinary records obtained by USA TODAY show. It has happened before., When Johnson was still in high school, she attended one LSU tennis senior day. DeCuir did not respond to a request for comment. I never felt valued as a person.. "The LSU Women's Tennis coach, Julia Sell, released a statement claiming she had no knowledge of the allegations made by my teammate and I," Lewis wrote. Lewis said she felt ostracized and dismissed by some administrators in Baton Rouge. I was glad it was over, almost like a weight lifted off my shoulders., It was like, Yes, okay, I dont have these chains on me anymore. I dont have to be something Im not.. Brand Guidelines On April 14, 2018, Davis admitted to punching the woman in a text message conversation with deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry, police records show. In fall 2012, a player called the police after witnessing a teammates boyfriend commit domestic violence during a Saturday night team outing at a Tigerland bar, the players said. Lewis and Segar weren't the only ones aware of the photo. 'I never felt values:' Weight-shaming, Belittling and Tattling, featuring anonymous former LSU Women's Tennis players. At least three other athletes, however, told Sanders that the woman was covering for Davis, records show. But when my name came up, the only Black woman, I was called an opportunist., When asked about current employees testifying at the hearing, DeCuir said: When you do an investigation like we did, and you make it public, invariably lawyers and other folks are going to take advantage of it and try to file lawsuits.. The woman could have appealed the decision, she said, but by that timethe case had already dragged on for five months. By then, hed assaulted the tennis player at least three more times, including strangling her twice, the woman told police and USA TODAY. He turned down offers from Alabama, Ohio State and other top universities to play as a wide receiver for the Tigers, whodescribed him as one of the most athletic players perhaps to ever wear an LSU football uniform.. Some of the women in this story are not being named because it is USA TODAYs policy not to identify individuals who allege sexual crimes and domestic violence without their permission. The woman and her attorney have called and written LSU repeatedly over the past threemonths, but the school has yet to produce a single document, they said. According to police reports, in the early hours of June 18, 2018, an intoxicated Davis entered the womans apartment using a key she had given him, jumped on her in her bed, strangled her, hit herand ripped her earring out in the process. When Brennan asked for the rest of the file, two LSU officials told her she could not have it because the statute of limitations in the case had not expired, she said. The judge placed Davis on two years' probation and ordered him to undergo mandatory counseling. One former player described Sell as cold and intimidating. But she recalled her living room being disheveled the next morning with Guices wallet in her couch cushions. At least seven LSU officials had direct knowledge that wide receiver Drake Davis was physically abusing his girlfriend, a different LSU womens tennis player, but they sat on the information for months, while Davis continued to assault and strangle her. The frat member, who was a friend, had invited her as his date. LSU denied the frat members final appeal that October. They kept saying there was nothing they could do.. She asked, What happened? Her comments to NBC News are her first extensive interview about her filing against one of the largest college athletics programs in the U.S. Segar and Ausberry were briefly suspended by the university for their inaction to reports of sexual misconduct throughout the athletics program, but returned to their jobs. Three spoke on the record, and four spoke anonymously. Miami (Ohio) women's basketball coach DeUnna Hendrix resigned on Wednesday after four seasons at the helm of the program. But it redacted the names of the suspects, victimsand witnesses, citing not a public records exemptionbut rather Louisiana's constitutional right to privacy. I came back to your apartment last night, Guice told her, according to the text exchange Brennan shared with USA TODAY. Johnson and another friend both told her that her name was never mentioned in the announcements. If you have atipor sensitive information you want to share, reach out to USA TODAYSportsatSportsTip@usatoday.com. The players relationship grew cold for a while, until later, when they discovered that Sell had lied. Washington released him, and he has not been signed by another team. The heart of Lewis case is this: The Husch Blackwell investigation concluded that Lewis was the only LSU staff member who reported complaints, and Ausberry and Segar were reprimanded for not acting on them. The firm identified "Complainant Two" as the former LSU women's tennis player, who was allegedly raped by former LSU running back Derrius Guice. DeCuir blocked Ausberry, Segar and anyone else from LSU from testifying because, he said at a hearing last year, it would be inappropriate for the individuals to speak, given the status of LSU athletics administrator Sharon Lewis $50 million suit against the school, according to LSUs student newspaper, The Reville. Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Johnson hung around LSUs womens tennis team in high school. All rights reserved. Additionally, my parents called during that time span to express their concern, and my coaches brushed them off. In that Facebook video about her scholarship, Johnson, surrounded by her teammates on LSUs tennis courts, opens an envelope. In early September, Sanders who had served as the schools Greek life director before becoming student advocacy and accountability director in 2016 issued sanctions against the frat member: a meeting on anger management and healthy relationships, a course on ethics and decision-making, and a deferred suspension for four semesters.
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