Les Miles is now the head coach of the University of Kansas, but it was the elements of his management at LSU that made the headlines this week.
This was spurred by the revelation of a decade-old agreement that the longtime Tigers coach reached a student, first reported by The Advocate’s Andrea Gallo and Brooks Kubena Tuesday afternoon.
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LSU’s coach lawyers are also at the center of a legal battle with another news outlet over the release of records relating to an investigation of years of his time with the program.
But what are the main elements to be considered before discovering a larger investigation underway at LSU? Scroll down for an analysis of five things to learn about the deal, previous investigation, next report and more.
WHAT INVOLVED THE AGREEMENT
The deal that surfaced this week came about a decade ago, at the time when LSU and Miles were working to close a multi-year contract extension. The complaint involved an LSU intern, who accused the Tigers football coach of “hitting on her”.
Little is known at this point about the terms of the agreement, although LSU officials confirmed on Wednesday that they heard about the agreement, but said the university was not part of it and they had not seen it.
Alexandra Reyes thought she had an airtight case of sexual misconduct for LSU to investigate.
WHAT MILES HAD TO SAY
When struck this week, Miles denied the charges of making advances on a student.
“This is not true,” he said.
Miles did not directly answer questions about the deal.
Peter Ginsberg, Miles’ longtime New York-based lawyer, said the description of the deal was “visibly incomplete and inaccurate”. He did not answer follow-up questions about the existence of an agreement.
WHERE THE NEWS CAME FROM
The deal came amid a major investigation into the treatment of LSU with respect to allegations of sexual misconduct and domestic violence at the university and its athletics programs. LSU hired the law firm Husch Blackwell to conduct the investigation.
The company is due to deliver a report at the end of next week on the findings of these incidents, which extend to the management of current LSU head coach Ed Orgeron.
An external law firm investigating LSU’s handling of sexual assault and domestic violence cases invited students to meet with them and share…
OTHER INVESTIGATION
Miles was the target of a sexual harassment investigation in 2013, USA Today reported on Wednesday.
USA Today – which released the story in November that prompted the larger investigation – reported that the investigation involved allegations that Miles sexually harassed student workers and made sexist comments about other people. They reported that Miles’ actions were deemed improper, but that LSU refused to discipline him.
LSU handled poorly of complaints of sexual misconduct against students, including top athletes, according to a USA Today investigation.
A request for a copy of the investigation was denied by LSU lawyers, who cited the Louisiana constitution and Miles’ right to privacy. USA Today has since filed a lawsuit against LSU, with its lawyers arguing that Miles’ celebrity level in Louisiana and his prominent position at the public university justified the release of the records.
Miles’ lawyers joined the litigation and declared that the records “have little relevance to a legitimate matter of public interest”.
THE STATE OF THIS PROCESS
Baton Rouge district judge Chip Moore scheduled a March 30 hearing to determine whether Miles’s report should be released to the public.
Miles’ lawyers, J. Christopher Zainey Jr. and Ginsberg, of New Orleans, had previously filed a petition for a court-ordered restraining order prohibiting LSU from releasing records of the investigation, conducted by the Taylor Porter law firm. Moore granted the order, but he and the lawyers had a chance to review the records.
LSU and the USA Today attorney remain under orders not to release these records until Moore reaches a decision. It remains to be seen what effect, if any, the order might have on Husch Blackwell’s ability to refer to Taylor Porter’s investigation in his review.
Defense reporters Andrea Gallo and Brooks Kubena contributed to this report.
LSU is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education on how the university reports and investigates crimes on campus, an open investigation …