LSU and Former Students Settle Lawsuit Over Handling of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Complaints
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU and 10 former students who sued the school over alleged mishandling of sexual assault and domestic violence complaints against football players and others at Louisiana’s flagship state university have settled the case.
“The Court has been advised that the parties in this matter have settled all of their claims and have agreed to amicably resolve this dispute,” US District Judge Wendy Vitter wrote in a March 28 order dismissing the case.
Settlement terms have not been disclosed.
Four of the plaintiffs in the 2021 civil case accused former star running back Derrius Guice of sexual misconduct. Another plaintiff, former LSU women’s tennis player Jade Lewis, said LSU failed to properly respond to reports that she was being beaten by former Tigers receiver Drake Davis while the two were in a relationship.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Emphasis:
- Goal 5: Gender Equality – The lawsuit centered on federal Title IX laws which ban gender-based discrimination, harassment or violence.
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – The allegations from female students dating back about a decade caught up with former university leaders after they’d left the school. Former LSU football coach Les Miles and ex-university President F. King Alexander were run out of subsequent jobs elsewhere.
Miles, who won a national title while coaching at LSU from 2005 to 2016, lost his job at Kansas in 2021. Oregon State fired Alexander as its president. He had the same job at LSU when allegations that Miles made improper sexual advances toward female students working in the football office were kept private by the university and its law firm in 2013 — despite a recommendation by then-athletic director Joe Alleva that Miles be fired.
LSU hired the Husch Blackwell law firm to review the university’s handling of sexual misconduct complaints and its report was widely circulated in 2021.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Emphasis:
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – The Husch Blackwell review aimed criticism more at LSU administrators, noting that coaches generally lack the expertise to handle sexual misconduct complaints and should refer them to Title IX compliance officials.
The firm’s 148-page findings addressed problems campus-wide, also looking, for example, at complaints against fraternity members. But the higher-profile complaints involved football players including Guice, who in 2020 was cut by his NFL club in Washington following a domestic violence arrest.
Husch Blackwell concluded that LSU had come up short in committing resources to Title IX compliance and instead tended to offer more resistance than help to alleged victims.
Allegations of sexual misconduct or physical abuse were reportedly filed against nine players who competed under Ed Orgeron, who succeeded Miles as coach during the 2016 season.
Orgeron coached LSU to an unbeaten record and national championship in the 2019 season.
Some of the accused players were punished and ultimately left LSU, but others, including Guice, left the school in good standing and were selected in the NFL draft.
The most severe punishment handed down to current LSU employees were suspensions of about a month to deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry and senior associate athletic director Miriam Segar. They were found to have mishandled multiple sexual misconduct complaints.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
-
SDG 5: Gender Equality
- Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres
- Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months
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SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
- Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children
- Indicator 16.2.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and form of exploitation
Analysis
The issues highlighted in the article are related to the mishandling of sexual assault and domestic violence complaints against football players and others at LSU. These issues are connected to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets:
SDG 5: Gender Equality
The mishandling of sexual assault and domestic violence complaints against women at LSU is a violation of gender equality. SDG 5 aims to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spheres.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
The failure to properly respond to reports of violence and misconduct at LSU indicates a lack of strong institutions and justice. SDG 16 aims to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against children.
Based on the content of the article, the specific targets under these SDGs can be identified as:
Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres
This target is relevant to the allegations of sexual misconduct and domestic violence against women at LSU.
Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children
This target is relevant to the mishandling of complaints and the failure to protect students from violence and misconduct at LSU.
The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators related to these targets. However, the following indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:
Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months
This indicator can be used to measure the prevalence of violence against women and girls at LSU.
Indicator 16.2.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and form of exploitation
This indicator can be used to measure the extent of abuse, exploitation, and violence against students at LSU.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres | Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children | Indicator 16.2.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and form of exploitation |
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Source: apnews.com
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