LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron Added as Defendant in Title IX Lawsuit

The lawsuit accuses Ed Orgeron of not reporting the alleged rape by former running back Derrius Guice even though the football coach was allegedly told about it.

Madeline Coleman | Jun 25, 2021

LSU Football Coach Ed Orgeron Added as Defendant in Title IX Lawsuit /

The LSU scandal continues as the university faces a Title IX lawsuit, and head football coach Ed Orgeron has been added as a defendant as well as his L.L.C., “O” THE ROSY FINCH BOYZ, LLC.

The filing alleges the coach knew about and failed to report the alleged rape of a student by former running back Derrius Guice, who recently had four misdemeanor charges dropped. Those charges stemmed from accusations of domestic violence.

The amended lawsuit, which was first filed in April by victims who accuse LSU of failing to properly investigate sexual misconduct allegations, added more detail and allegations against Guice. Ashlyn Robertson, a former student, accused the former football star of raping her when she was unconscious after attending her party. She alleges that he harassed her for “spreading rumors” and told her he had “a gun with (her) name on it.”

Robertson later dated a football player, and per the lawsuit, the boyfriend told Orgeron about the assault.

"Orgeron responded by telling Robertson’s boyfriend to not be upset because 'everybody’s girlfriend sleeps with other people,'" the lawsuit reads.

In August 2020, USA Today reported that two women came forward accusing Guice of raping them at the school when he was a freshman. Orgeron issued a statement at the time denying the quote above from the lawsuit and "credibly denied" being told about the incident, per the Husch Blackwell investigation. The law firm could not get in touch with the former player who allegedly had this conversation with the football coach.

Three more women have come forward in the sexual misconduct lawsuit against the university.

Coleman: Woman Testifies Ed Orgeron Knew Derrius Guice Sexually Harassed Her

But, these aren't the only allegations involving Guice and Orgeron. In March, a 74-year-old who worked part-time security at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, testified before the Louisiana Senate Select Committee on Women and Children, saying that the football coach knew that Guice sexually harassed at least one woman and lied about it.

During her testimony, Gloria Scott recalled when the then-LSU player and his friends approached her at her post outside Elevator 8 in Bunker G in 2017.

“I like to f--- women like you, you older women, because y'all know y'all like us young men to f--- y'all,” Scott said Guice told her. “And, you know you want this body.”

Guice allegedly continued to sexually harass the then 70-year-old, making vulgar comments and rubbing his body up and down from his chest to his genitals, according to USA Today.

Scott told lawmakers that she tried to report the incident to LSU athletic department administrators, the school’s student accountability director and directly to Orgeron. However, the school didn't take action.

Orgeron allegedly later called Scott to ask her to forgive Guice, calling him a "troubled child." The head coach continued, telling her that the player was "just kidding."

After Scott’s testimony, LSU issued a statement in response:

“As detailed in the Husch Blackwell report, Coach Orgeron never had any direct communications with the complainant. He has and will continue to follow university protocols regarding reporting.”

Orgeron released a statement in lieu of testifying in April. The coach said the running back's alleged sexual harassment is "utterly unacceptable." However, he denied ever speaking to Scott.

The committee is holding hearings on LSU’s failure to comply with Title IX requirements to report and investigate incidents of sexual misconduct after the school released the Husch Blackwell report in March.

The ongoing Title IX scandal includes allegations over several years, and eventually led former football coach Les Miles to "mutually" part ways with Kansas following the release of LSU's 2013 sexual harassment investigation.

The school's decision comes after the Husch Blackwell report detailed the failure of the athletic program to properly report sexual misconduct and abuse cases.

On April 6, the U.S. Department of Education launched its second investigation of the program's mishandling of cases. And, the school is expected to ban Guice and plans to remove his stats from the program's record books, a university spokesperson told ESPN.

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Published Jun 25, 2021

MADELINE COLEMAN