The University of Kansas announced Monday that, following the release of a 2013 report detailing allegations that Miles sexually molested female students while studying at Louisiana State University, it “agreed to to separate ”.
Kansas failed to publicly support Miles after the report was released through litigation last Thursday. But the Publication of the results of a new investigation on FridayOne who examined LSU’s broader culture of sexual misconduct issues raised even greater doubts about his future in Kansas.
Kansas said on Friday night that Miles had been taken on administrative leave, and on Monday night the university announced that Miles’ tenure, which began when he was hired in November 2018, had ended.
“I am extremely disappointed with our university, the fans and everyone involved in our football program,” said Jeff Long, the sporting director, in a statement. “There are a lot of young talent on this football team and I have no doubt that we will find the right person to lead this program.”
In a statement released by the university, Miles said it was “certainly a difficult day for me and my family”. He didn’t bring up his story at LSU
But Miles’s attorney has denied the coach’s wrongdoing, saying he learned “an unfortunate lesson eight years ago: his naturally open and trusting demeanor exposes him to false claims from people who have a different agenda than him . ” After Miles’ vacation was announced last week, attorney Peter Ginsberg complained that Kansas acted over “media setbacks” and said the decision was “both worrying and unfair”.
Ginsberg also alleged that Kansas received “important information” prior to the 2013 report being released. When asked if he would share what Miles and others had made available to Kansas, Ginsberg did not answer.
During his two seasons in Kansas Miles never achieved the success he had as a football coach at Oklahoma State University and LSU, where he won a national championship at the end of the 2007 season. Miles set a 3:18 record in Kansas – after playing 142:55 in his first two jobs as head coach.
Until recently, Miles’ job didn’t seem in imminent danger. However, when LSU was accused of ill-treating allegations of sexual misconduct, USA Today sued a copy of a 2013 investigation report from a law firm closely associated with the university.
The report, prompted after two women who worked for the football program complained about Miles’ behavior, said the coach had a role in hiring decisions and that he “made it clear that these employees had a certain” appearance “Should have (attractive, blond, fit). “
Investigators were skeptical of the complaints in a report. But the second woman to raise concerns told a deeply troubling story about how Miles started broadcasting her messages after starting work on the soccer program and how the powerful coach urged her to use an alias insert and add her phone number to his personal cell phone.
She also said that she and Miles met off campus, that the coach suggested retiring to a hotel or condo, and that he kissed her twice. Other allegations in the report have been edited.
Although LSU attorneys believed in 2013 that Miles’ behavior did not justify his dismissal – and that he had just received a contract renewal with an increase to $ 4.3 million a year – others at the university were deeply alarmed.
The new investigation, which concluded on Friday, found that Joe Alleva, who was LSU’s sports director in 2013 and had already warned his coach not to meet with student staff, believed Miles should be ousted for good cause .
“I always believe that people are innocent until proven guilty and in this case I believe he is guilty of disobedience, inappropriate behavior, endangering the university, the sports department and the football program,” Alleva wrote in June 2013 to other LSU officials. “I think we have a reason.”
Alleva’s recommendation was not followed. Instead, LSU decided to just prevent Miles from hiring student athletics staff for “personal work”. The university also said Miles was prohibited from having face-to-face communications with a student assistant in athletics and asked him to pay at least eight hours of training with an employment lawyer.
At the same time, the LSU maneuvered to protect the allegations and punishments from the public.
“There were no files on the subject at the university,” said the investigation that the LSU published on Friday about the 2013 investigation. “Instead, the report on the investigation was purposely outside the LSU’s office outside of the lawyer and on file with Miles’ attorneys. “
In fact, Kansas said it didn’t consider the report until it was released during the Louisiana litigation earlier this month.
LSU fired Miles in 2016, but his firing was then linked to the Tigers’ 2-2 start that season. His tenure in Baton Rouge, which began in 2005, has received much praise: in addition to winning the 2007 season title, he led LSU to another championship game after the 2011 season. He routinely kept LSU competitive with the increasingly dynastic University of Alabama and was popular with many fans even after his release.
