LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Two former Kentucky swim team members have sued the school, former coach Lars Jorgensen and athletic director Mitch Barnhart, alleging sexual assaults including rape by the former coach and claiming the school “purposefully” disregarded multiple credible reports of inappropriate sexual relationships.
The lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court by former swimmer and assistant coach Briggs Alexander and a woman identified only as Jane Doe said Kentucky empowered Jorgensen to “foster a toxic, sexually hostile environment within the swim program and to prey on, sexually harass, and commit horrific sexual assaults.”
The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they consent to being identified, as Alexander did.
Alexander, who according to the lawsuit now identifies as male, claims that Jorgensen “spent years” grooming him and creating a sexually hostile environment, including sexually assaulting and raping him. The suit also alleges that Jorgensen groomed Jane Doe over several years after her arrival as a Kentucky freshman, made sexualized comments and asserted control over her.
The ex-coach also “repeatedly and violently” assaulted an assistant coach, identified as Jane Doe II, starting with a December 2013 Christmas party with staff at his home.
The lawsuit also alleges that former Kentucky head coach Gary Conelly, who led the program from 1991 until retiring in 2013, did not follow up on being told of previous alleged misconduct by Jorgensen at Toledo. It also alleged that Barnhart did not follow up an email about allegations or investigate them and hired Jorgensen, the suit said, and accused him of intentionally concealing the allegations.
Jorgensen did not respond to messages left by the AP on Saturday but told The Athletic none of the allegations are true. Conelly also did not respond to a message left by the AP but told The Athletic that he contacted the former Toledo swimmer and was told she began dating Jorgensen after her swimming career. He added that it’s not uncommon for coaches to have a relationship with one of their former swimmers.
A statement sent to AP on Saturday by Kentucky spokesman Jay Blanton said Jorgensen is no longer employed by the university. It said the university takes sexual assault allegations “very seriously” but that it does not discuss specific personnel issues.