LSU Resolves Sexual Misconduct Lawsuit with Accusers of Football Players

BATON ROUGE — LSU has settled a lawsuit brought against the university, which accused LSU football players of sexual misconduct and assault.

The lawsuit, initiated in 2021 by a group of 10 women, encompassed numerous incidents detailed in the Husch Blackwell law firm's report on the university's management of sexual assault and Title IX matters. The report corroborated many of the allegations outlined in a series of articles by USA Today, which detailed claims against multiple players.

Additionally, in 2021, the university underwent a Department of Education investigation into its handling of sexual assault reports.

In December 2020, a USA Today article alleged that top administrators in the athletic department circumvented the school’s sexual misconduct policies by handling allegations against athletes internally. The university purportedly took no corrective action at the time and neglected to investigate whether similar mishandlings had occurred with other athlete-related allegations, as per the newspaper's report.

Following the public revelation of these allegations, LSU engaged Husch Blackwell to evaluate its approach to handling sexual misconduct complaints. In response to the findings, LSU allocated additional funding to the Title IX office.

While the specific terms of the settlement remain undisclosed, recent court records indicate that LSU and the students "have settled all of their claims and have agreed to amicably resolve this dispute."

Among the plaintiffs were Samantha Brennan, Abby Owens, Calise Richardson, and Ashlyn Robertson, who each accused former LSU football player Derrius Guice of sexual misconduct. Another plaintiff, former LSU tennis player Jade Lewis, reportedly endured an abusive relationship with former LSU football player Drake Davis.

Elisabeth Andries, Corinn Hovis, Kennan Johnson, and Sarah Kitch also filed lawsuits against the university, alleging sexual misconduct and sex-based discrimination at LSU. A tenth plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe in court records, also brought forward allegations.