LSU fires athletics executive who filed a $50 million lawsuit against school last April
LSU athletics executive Sharon Lewis, who had been in a bitter battle with the university for almost a year, has had her contract terminated.
Lewis filed a $50 million lawsuit against LSU's board of supervisors, athletics committee, several university administrators and former LSU football coach Les Miles among others last April. Lewis claimed that she was retaliated against for reporting allegations of Title IX misconduct and sexual harassment.
In a statement released Tuesday, Lewis' attorneys claimed that athletic director Scott Woodward terminated her contract without cause. Woodward is one of the LSU administrators named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
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"The wrongful termination of Sharon Lewis by LSU is a continuation of the retaliation she has endured for reporting violations of Title IX and State Law by LSU coaches and athletic officials," according to Lewis' attorneys. "LSU’s action is a clear violation of Title IX, Louisiana Whistleblower Statute and EEOC guidelines that protect employees against retaliation for reporting violations of federal and state law."
When reached Tuesday, an LSU spokesperson would not comment on any specific administration changes but shared that the athletics department had undergone 40 personnel "reassignments and departures" over the last month.
In her lawsuit, Lewis also accused the school of gender discrimination, a hostile work environment and that she was underpaid by the university for bringing the Title IX violations to the notice of senior officials.
Lewis' name — along with 13 others including former LSU football coach Ed Orgeron — was also dropped as a defendant in another sexual discrimination lawsuit involving the university last week. The suit that was filed last April includes 10 current and former students as plaintiffs and accuses LSU of ignoring sexual assault complaints and violating Title IX policies set by the university.
The accusations, that were brought to light in a report from USA TODAY in November of 2020, prompted LSU to hire the law firm Husch Blackwell to conduct an independent investigation. The school suspended executive deputy AD Verge Ausberry and senior associate AD Miriam Segar, as a result, last April without pay for 30 and 21 days, respectively.
Both Segar and Ausberry are named as defendants in both Lewis and the students' lawsuits and are both still employed by the university.
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"The Husch Blackwell Report documented Ms. Lewis’ bravery in reporting sexual misconduct within LSU’s Athletic Department," according to Lewis' attorneys. "Husch Blackwell also documented that Verge Ausberry and Miriam Segar willfully violated Title IX and lied about their conduct. Segar and Ausberry remain employed at LSU under the protection of Woodward, while Ms. Lewis has been terminated without cause. There can be no clearer statement of the values of Scott Woodward and LSU’s Board Of Supervisors."
Lewis was the associate athletic director of football recruiting and alumni relations at LSU, a position she was promoted to in 2020. She had been a member of the football recruiting department since 2002.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Sharon Lewis terminated by LSU after filing lawsuit against school
