By Trend News Line 2024-04-14 14:57:30.
Former Kentucky Swim Team Members Sue School
Two former Kentucky swim team members have filed a lawsuit against the school, former coach Lars Jorgensen, and athletic director Mitch Barnhart, alleging sexual assaults including rape by the former coach. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court by former swimmer and assistant coach Briggs Alexander and a woman identified as Jane Doe, claims that the school “purposefully” disregarded multiple credible reports of inappropriate sexual relationships within the swim program.
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Allegations of Sexual Assault
According to the lawsuit, Alexander, who now identifies as male, alleges that Jorgensen “spent years” grooming him and creating a sexually hostile environment, which included sexually assaulting and raping him. The suit also claims that Jorgensen groomed Jane Doe over several years after her arrival as a Kentucky freshman, making sexualized comments and exerting control over her. Additionally, the lawsuit states that Jorgensen “repeatedly and violently” assaulted an assistant coach, identified as Jane Doe II, starting with a December 2013 Christmas party with staff at his home.
Failure to Address Previous Allegations
The lawsuit also alleges that former Kentucky head coach Gary Conelly did not follow up on previous alleged misconduct by Jorgensen at Toledo. It further accuses Barnhart of not investigating or following up on email allegations about Jorgensen and intentionally concealing the allegations. Jorgensen and Conelly have denied the allegations made in the lawsuit.
Response from University of Kentucky
A statement from Kentucky spokesman Jay Blanton confirmed that Jorgensen is no longer employed by the university. The statement emphasized that the university takes sexual assault allegations very seriously but does not discuss specific personnel issues. The university also mentioned that concerns raised by employees and potential employees are reviewed before hiring.
Previous Allegations at University of Toledo
The lawsuit claims that the University of Kentucky’s athletic department received credible reports from University of Toledo assistant coach Mark Howard regarding Jorgensen’s alleged misconduct while at Toledo. Howard reported that Jorgensen “was a sexual predator” who couldn’t be trusted around young women and had discovered a video showing Jorgensen having sexual intercourse with a female swimmer who appeared to be incapacitated.
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SafeSport Involvement
Jorgensen resigned last June after being suspended for an NCAA violation. SafeSport, an organization that investigates and resolves allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct, added Jorgensen to a disciplinary database in November. Kentucky stated that it takes concerns raised by employees and potential employees seriously and reviews such concerns before hiring.
University’s Response to Allegations
The university’s statement reiterated its commitment to addressing allegations of harassment or misconduct and stated that it follows a policy of reporting such issues to its Office for Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity. The university emphasized that the welfare and well-being of all employees and students is a top priority and that they give victims or complainants the opportunity to decide whether they want to participate in an investigation of this kind..
Former Kentucky swimmers sue ex-coaches AD Mitch Barnhart alleging ‘sexually hostile environment’
Kentucky swimmers sue ex-coaches AD Mitch Barnhart alleging ‘sexually hostile environment’.
