A 2013 internal investigation at LSU accused former coach Les Miles of inappropriate behavior towards female students, but did not find that Miles had sexual relations with any of the women, according to an investigative report released by the university on Thursday.
According to the investigative report, first reported by USA Today and obtained by ESPN, Miles was accused of contacting female students via Facebook and texting, meeting them only off campus, and kissing at least one of them.
According to the report, Miles firmly denied kissing the student, saying he had done nothing wrong, mentoring young women in college. Athletics department employees accused Miles of saying that female student workers who helped the best recruits onto the soccer team “ had to have a certain look, ” further implying that, according to the report, that meant attractive, blonde and fit, and if existing student employees didn’t. did not fit that description, they should be given fewer hours or fired.
In a statement to ESPN, Miles’ attorney, Peter Ginsberg, said the release of the investigation, which was conducted by law firm Taylor Porter on behalf of LSU, “ should end the baseless, inaccurate media reports that Coach Les Miles considers years ago involved in inappropriate contact with a student volunteer from the athletics department. “
As the report concludes, the claim that Coach Miles attempted to kiss the woman was not supported by any evidence and did not justify discipline: ‘We do not believe under existing law and the terms of the contract that there is reason to discipline and / or to end “Coach Miles. Coach Miles then, as he now denies, that such behavior took place.”
Miles’s attorney said a second woman made a similar claim that was unsupported in the findings.
According to the investigative report, “that woman’s attitude and inconsistent, vague statements are such that she does not appear to be a reliable source of information.” The woman claimed, according to the report, that she was “subjected to an unwanted touch.”
Taylor Porter’s investigation determined that “we cannot determine what happened” in Miles’s car, where the first woman said Miles kissed her twice.
While there is no judgment as to what actually happened in the car, the report stated “there can be little doubt that the behavior, if true, is inappropriate and unacceptable,” and that even with the acceptance of Miles ‘version of what happened,’ it seems that he has shown poor judgment by putting himself (and the student worker) in a situation where the student worker might feel uncomfortable and / or be the subject of a such complaint. “
As a result of the investigation, LSU issued a reprimand and instructed Miles to stop hiring student employees to babysit and not be alone with them.
The report ultimately determined that “LSU could not prove any legal violation,” said a letter from the law firm Taylor Porter to Ginsberg, but “LSU has concluded that Miles was engaged in conduct that showed poor judgment.”
Miles, who is now a head coach at Kansas, also had to attend eight one-hour sessions with a lawyer and pay for them himself.
A Kansas athletics spokesperson told the Lawrence Journal-World that the university was reviewing the investigation report.
“We are also aware that LSU will issue an additional report tomorrow (Friday), and we will wait to comment until we have reviewed both documents,” the spokesperson told Journal-World.
USA Today has reported widespread allegations of sexual misconduct by the athletics department and the LSU administration. As a result, in November, LSU hired law firm Husch Blackwell to monitor the handling of dozens of sexual misconduct cases since 2016.
The results of that investigation will be announced on Friday.