Big time trouble in Baton Rouge
The LSU football team finds itself in hot water after a report of the mishandling of sexual misconduct allegations was released by USA Today on Monday.
The report cited that at least nine players in the LSU football program have been accused of sexual misconduct in head coach Ed Orgeron’s tenure. Orgeron took over head coaching duties for the Tigers back in 2016.
LSU’s former star running back Derrius Guice saw his NFL career end before it had barely started after he was released by the Washington Redskins after being charged with domestic violence back in August.
USA Today’s report showed the Guice’s history of abuse stems back to his time as a Tiger. The report showed that the school did not properly investigate two separate rape allegations against Guice of rape when he was at LSU. Guice was also accused of capturing, and subsequently sharing an indecent picture of a woman without her permission.
LSU’s Interim President and Professor of Law Tom Galligan was swift to released a statement a few hours after the report was released.
“I want to assure you that LSU takes every report of sexual assault or violence seriously,” the statement reads. “We investigate them thoroughly, support victims sensitively, and hold offenders accountable. However, we are not perfect, and we can, and will, do better. A single instance of abuse or sexual violence is one too many.”
The statement cited the allegations, specifically the ones from 2016-2018 were, “allegedly ignored, dismissed outright or mishandled by coaches and university officials.”
The statement also acknowledged the law firm Husch Blackwell would perform an independent review of the schools Title IX policies. Galligan’s full statement can be found on Twitter.
Orgeron spoke Monday stating, “We need to support and protect victims of violence, sexual abuse of any kind…there’s no place in our society nor on this campus or on our football program for any behavior of this type.”
The investigation regarding potential misconduct by the school will take weeks, if not months. If any misconduct is found, jobs may be lost, and heavy punishment is expected to be brought down on the program by the NCAA.