Les Miles responds to being named in LSU football employee's $50 million lawsuit
Les Miles, through his attorney, has issued a strong statement after being named in a $50 million lawsuit filed by LSU associate athletic director of football recruiting Sharon Lewis.
The attorney for the recently fired Kansas coach issued a statement on behalf of his client to several media outlets (including WAFB) Wednesday:
“This lawsuit is a work of fiction eight years in the making. The manner in which Ms. Lewis and her counsel have slowly rolled out this lawsuit is telling, culminating in her counsel holding a press conference rather than having the pleading speak for itself and pronouncing that the lawsuit is for “other women,” implicitly acknowledging that the named plaintiff is a deeply flawed party without a valid claim. Les Miles has no liability in this matter, the accusations against him are false and meritless, and he will be responding by bringing his own claims addressing Ms. Lewis’ malicious and false accusations.”
The details and background of the lawsuit are covered in an in-depth report totaling nearly 4,000 words by USA TODAY’s Kenny Jacoby.
Austin Kemker of WAFB shared some of the takeaway points from the suit on Twitter:
According to the suit: Lewis first became concerned about Les Miles after he “had an inappropriate fixation on female student workers.”
She reportedly told Verge Ausberry about those claims.— Austin Kemker (@Austin_Kemker) April 7, 2021
In another instance, the suit alleges Miles told Lewis that the student female workers she hired looked like a “bad bowling team.” @WAFB
— Austin Kemker (@Austin_Kemker) April 7, 2021
Later that year the suit claims that Miles directed Lewis to hire “blondes with big boobs.”
These comments were reported to Verge Ausberry who allegedly told Lewis “she was making too big of a deal about these comments” and she needed to “just worry about doing your job.”
— Austin Kemker (@Austin_Kemker) April 7, 2021
These comments were reportedly brought to Bo Bahnsen, Sr Assoc AD. The suit claims Bahnsen told Lewis “maybe it was time for plaintiff to look for another job.”
— Austin Kemker (@Austin_Kemker) April 7, 2021
The suit continues: “Miles retaliation against plaintiff (Lewis) became so bad that she would hide under her desk when she would hear him coming to avoid him.” @WAFB
— Austin Kemker (@Austin_Kemker) April 7, 2021
Lewis also alleges Ausberry "would routinely scream and belittle" her in front of student workers and co-workers.
She describes a conference call where Ausberry called her a "stupid incompetent b****."— Austin Kemker (@Austin_Kemker) April 7, 2021
Lewis also claims Ausberry told her "you will never be promoted because you file Title IX complaints. You even filed one against me."
— Austin Kemker (@Austin_Kemker) April 7, 2021
