Several alleged Title IX violations by the University surfaced after a November USA Today report detailed multiple LSU alumna’s stories of sexual assault and violence, both within and outside of LSU Athletics.
The University hired Husch Blackwell law firm to investigate its alleged mishandling of Title IX. The law firm’s report will be released Friday in an LSU Board of Supervisors meeting at Lod Cook Alumni Center.
Here are some of the major incidents and alleged Title IX case misconduct by the University, as detailed in the November USA Today report:
2016:
Former LSU football player Derrius Guice takes nude photographs of LSU alumna Samantha Brennan without her consent. The photo circulates around the football team. Sharon Lewis, Brennan’s supervisor at work and LSU’s head of football recruiting called Brennan into her office on July 22 after hearing about the photo.
Senior Associate Athletic Director Miriam Segar is also present in the meeting. Segar accompanies Brennan to LSUPD to file a report. Brennan does not press charges. The Title IX Office never reaches out to Brennan about her report, Brennan told USA Today. Brennan leaves LSU after the fall 2016 semester, and Guice completes a record-setting season in football.
Guice allegedly rapes a former LSU women’s tennis player, “Jane Doe,” while she is intoxicated, according to USA Today. Doe abused alcohol and prescription drugs before meeting Guice, and her drinking increases after the incident. Concerned teammates inform LSU women’s tennis Head Coach Julia Sell about the drinking. Doe is dismissed from the tennis team after testing positive for a drug that she was not prescribed.
2017:
Former LSU football player Drake Davis begins dating former LSU women’s tennis player Jade Lewis. Davis abuses Lewis, and leaves her “bruised or bleeding” at least six times over the course of one year, according to USA Today. Lewis informs her athletic trainer, Donovan White, of the assault, but White does not report the incident to the Title IX office. Lewis’ father informs LSU Women’s Tennis Coach Julia Sell of the toxic relationship between Davis and Lewis.
In April 2017, Doe checks into rehab paid for by the University. She tells a counselor that Guice raped her and a rehab center employee informed the alleged rape to LSU. Doe’s father informs Sell that Guice raped his daughter, and Sell tells him “I don’t believe her,” according to USA Today. The University’s Title IX office does not contact Doe or her father, USA Today reported.
2018:
Davis punches Lewis and breaks her ribs. Three weeks later, Lewis informs White, senior athletic trainer Micki Collins and Segar that Davis punched her for the second time in one year. Segar files a Title IX report. Two months later, according to USA Today, LSU investigators interview Davis. By this time, Davis had assaulted Lewis at least three more times.
On April 14, according to an LSUPD report, Davis texts deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry that he punched Lewis. According to USA Today, Segar calls LSUPD Aug. 16 after Lewis shows her pictures of the bruises and scratches that Davis gave her, and text messages where Davis threatened to kill Lewis and encouraged her to commit suicide. LSUPD arrests Davis the next day.
2019:
Davis admits to punching Lewis in court in March 2019. He also admits to violating a court-issued protective order, according to the Advocate. When asked in court if he punched his girlfriend in the stomach, Davis said “yes sir, and I apologize,” according to the Advocate. Davis is expelled from LSU in July.
2020:
USA Today sues the University in October for access of four campus police reports involved sexual assault allegations against four LSU football players after the University failed to release the reports when requested by reporters. The University released three of the reports on Nov. 13, but redacted the names of suspects, victims and witnesses.
Brennan also requests a copy of her own police report and the University sends her a four sentence report that lacks details such as Guice’s name. The University tells Brennan that she cannot obtain the rest of her file because the statute of limitations expired, though she did not press charges against Guice. A USA Today report is released in November alleging LSU of mishandling reports of sexual assault and outlining stories of sexual assault and violence at LSU.
LSU students march in protest of LSU’s mishandling of sexual assault reports.
LSU hires law firm Husch Blackwell in late November to look into the University’s handling of Title IX processes.
2021:
The US Department of Education launches an investigation into LSU’s compliance with federal campus safety laws on Feb. 5.
The Husch Blackwell report will be presented at a March 5 LSU Board of Supervisors meeting at Lod Cook Alumni Center.
LSU freshman Jade Lewis returns the ball during the Lady Tigers' 5-0 win against Memphis on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017 at the LSU Tennis Complex.
