7 women file lawsuit vs. LSU
Seven women filed a federal class action lawsuit against Louisiana State University, its governing board and several former and current LSU officials, alleging years of “neglect and dysfunction” in its responses to allegations of sexual harassment, domestic violence and assault involving student-athletes.
The suit filed Monday in Baton Rouge alleges a racketeering scheme by LSU, its athletic department and the nonprofit fundraising Tiger Athletic Foundation — also a defendant in the lawsuit — to insulate players and coaches from sexual misconduct allegations. Players and coaches were shielded so as not to hinder the financial success of athletic programs, the lawsuit says. The result, the lawsuit claims, meant women were discouraged or blocked from taking claims of harassment or assault to the university office responsible for handling such complaints in accordance with federal Title IX sexual discrimination laws.
Plaintiffs include women who have testified in public hearings during the growing scandal over the university’s handling of harassment and assault complaints. Their lawsuit contains a litany of allegations of abuse and resulting suffering.
It’s the latest development in a scandal that has reverberated well beyond the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. Former LSU president F. King Alexander, a defendant in the lawsuit, stepped down as president of Oregon State University amid criticism of LSU’s handling of Title IX complaints during his time in Baton Rouge. Former LSU football coach Les Miles was pushed out of his job as head coach at Kansas. He’s a defendant in a suit filed earlier this year by an associate LSU AD who alleges she was a victim of retaliation for reporting racist remarks and inappropriate sexual behavior by Miles, allegations he denied. The associate athletic director, meanwhile, has been named as a defendant in Monday’s lawsuit.
College basketball: Iowa G Jordan Bohannon announced he will return for his sixth season in 2021-22. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA granted eligibility relief to winter-sport athletes in 2020-21. Bohannon is Iowa’s career record holder in assists (639), 3-pointers made (364), freethrow percentage (.887) and games played (143). He ranks ninth in Iowa career scoring with 1,638 points.
NBA: Rockets PG John Wall is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain, ESPN reported. The typical recovery time for such an injury is about three weeks, and the Rockets have no intention of rushing Wall back with the team eliminated from playoff contention. Wall is averaging 20.6 points and 6.9 assists while shooting 40.4% from the field . ... Cavaliers F Larry Nance Jr. likely will miss the rest of the season after breaking his right thumb Sunday. Nance, who’s averaging 9.3 points and 6.7 rebounds, missed seven games recently with an undisclosed illness and more than a month with a broken left hand . ... The Clippers signed C DeMarcus Cousins for the rest of the season. His second 10-day contract expired Sunday. Cousins, 30, averaged 9.3 points and 8 rebounds in 14 minutes in each of the team’s last three wins ahead of Monday’s game against the Pelicans.
NFL: Former Pro Bowl Cowboys LB Sean Lee retired after 11 seasons. The oft-injured Lee, 38, ranks eighth in team history with 995 tackles. He spent his entire career with the Cowboys.
NHL: Jets F Nikolaj Ehlers will miss the rest of the regular season with an upperbody injury. Ehlers, who has 21 goals and 25 assists in 47 games this season, should be available if the Jets make the playoffs. ... Blackhawks F Andrew Shaw retired due to multiple concussions over the course of his career. Shaw, 29, played seven of his 10 seasons with the Blackhawks, winning two Stanley Cups.
Swimming: John Konrads, who set 26 individual freestyle swimming world records and won an Olympic gold medal for Australia in 1960, died. He was 78.