By Trend News Line 2024-04-17 02:09:00.
Lexington, Ky. — Two former Kentucky swim team members have taken legal action against the school, former coach Lars Jorgensen, and athletic director Mitch Barnhart, alleging sexual assaults, including rape by the former coach. They claim that the school purposefully disregarded multiple credible reports of inappropriate sexual relationships.
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The lawsuit, filed on Friday in U.S. District Court by former swimmer and assistant coach Briggs Alexander and a woman identified only as Jane Doe, accuses Kentucky of allowing Jorgensen to create a toxic and sexually hostile environment within the swim program. They claim that Jorgensen preyed on, sexually harassed, and committed horrific sexual assaults.
Alexander, who now identifies as male, alleges that Jorgensen spent years grooming him, creating a sexually hostile environment, and sexually assaulting and raping him. The lawsuit also states that Jorgensen groomed Jane Doe over several years, made sexualized comments, and exerted control over her.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims that Jorgensen repeatedly and violently assaulted an assistant coach, identified as Jane Doe II, starting with a staff Christmas party in December 2013. The former head coach, Gary Conelly, and athletic director, Mitch Barnhart, are also implicated in the lawsuit for allegedly failing to follow up on reports of misconduct by Jorgensen and intentionally concealing the allegations.
Jorgensen denied the allegations when contacted by The Athletic and did not respond to messages from the Associated Press. Conelly also did not respond to AP messages but told The Athletic that he had contacted a former Toledo swimmer who had dated Jorgensen after her swimming career.
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A statement from Kentucky spokesman Jay Blanton confirmed that Jorgensen is no longer employed by the university and emphasized that the school takes sexual assault allegations very seriously.
The lawsuit also alleges that Kentucky’s athletic department received credible reports from a University of Toledo assistant coach, Mark Howard, regarding Jorgensen’s behavior while at the school in Ohio. Howard reportedly discovered a video showing Jorgensen engaging in sexual activity with a female swimmer who appeared to be incapacitated. Despite these reports, Kentucky chose to conceal the allegations and hired Jorgensen as an assistant coach in 2012.
Jorgensen resigned last June after being suspended for an NCAA violation, according to reports. The university reached a $75,000 settlement with Jorgensen in August, though the agreement did not constitute an admission of fault by either party. SafeSport, an organization that investigates 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 them before making hiring decisions. The university’s policy calls for reporting allegations of harassment or misconduct to its Office for Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity.
The statement from Kentucky emphasized that the welfare and well-being of all employees and students is a priority for the university. It stated that victims or complainants are given the opportunity to participate in investigations of this nature and that the university is committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all members of its community..
Former Kentucky swimmers sue ex-coaches AD Mitch Barnhart alleging ‘sexually hostile environment’.
