Former women’s basketball player sues Nebraska
Nebraska women’s basketball player accuses coach Amy Williams and athletic director
Trev Alberts of not taking appropriate action when her sexual relationship
with an assistant coach became widely known.
Ashley Scoggin filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court describing how then-associate
head coach Chuck Love allegedly took a special interest in her and how the
relationship turned sexual and caused Scoggin to fear retaliation if she
refused to engage in it.
The lawsuit was filed Sunday and, in addition to Williams and Alberts,
names the university’s board of regents and Love as defendants. Scoggin
seeks a jury trial in Lincoln and unspecified damages for the alleged
violation of her civil rights.
“It’s a very troubling and serious subject of predatory coaches that pursue
sexual relationships with student-athletes,” Scoggin attorney Maren
Chaloupka said. “There’s an enormous imbalance of power between the
professional coach and student-athletes. This is something that was well
known in 2022.
“Certainly Division I universities that operate at the top level are well
aware of the harm that comes from this kind of a predatory situation, and
there’s a strong onus on the university and on the coaches to prevent this
from happening and, heaven forbid it does happen, to address is correctly.”
University spokesperson Melissa Lee said the school was made aware of the
lawsuit Monday.
“While the University does not comment on the specifics of pending
litigation, it does not agree with the allegations contained in the
complaint and intends to vigorously defend this matter,” Lee said in a
statement.
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Scoggin played two seasons for the Cornhuskers. She was dismissed from the
team on the same day Love was suspended with pay in February 2022. Love
resigned three months later. Scoggin now plays at UNLV.
Williams and Alberts are accused of not providing training or setting rules
and policies prohibiting staff members from having sexual relationships
with athletes, with the lawsuit saying the lack of safeguards “was so
reckless that misconduct involving sexual misconduct by coaches was
inevitable as of September 2021.”
According to the lawsuit:
Scoggin had an internship in the athletic department in the summer of 2021,
and she expressed interest in becoming a coach someday. Love invited
Scoggin to work at a small table in his office, and she accepted.
Love asked Scoggin personal questions, including the type of alcohol she
preferred, and Love began asking her to go out for drinks with him. Scoggin
declined several invitations but eventually accepted one. A few days later,
they met late at night in a Costco parking lot, where Love kissed her and
asked, “Have you ever done anything with a coach before?”
The interaction left Scoggin feeling “confused and trapped” because “it was
now undeniable that Love wanted a sexual relationship.” Once the
relationship turned sexual, Love expected Scoggin to be “available and
willing” whenever he wanted to have sex, including summoning her to his
hotel room when the team traveled for away games.
On the night before a game at Penn State in February 2022, team members and
practice players created a ruse to confirm and videotape Scoggin’s presence
in Love’s hotel room. A male practice player falsely represented himself to
the desk clerk as Love to obtain a duplicate room key. Two team members
confronted Scoggin in Love’s room. They reported their findings and showed
the video to Williams.
“Williams cast Ashley in the role of a seducer and a liar,” the lawsuit
said. “She allowed the players to berate and accuse Ashley for hours. She
did not redirect or counsel the players that what they had seen may be the
result of an abuse of power by her associate head coach.”
Upon returning to Lincoln, Scoggin was not informed of her rights under
Title IX and in a meeting with Williams and other members of the
administration was told she was off the team, according to the complaint.
Scoggin’s dismissal and Love’s suspension were reported simultaneously by
the media.
“NU, Williams and Alberts were motivated to avoid scandal and embarrassment
to the Cornhuskers women’s basketball program instead of being motivated to
protect its student-athlete, Ashley,” the lawsuit said.
“NU, Williams and Alberts allowed the speculation and perception to fester
that Ashley was ‘equally to blame’ or otherwise had done something improper
when they should have sent a clear message that it is always improper for a
professional coach to pursue a sexual relationship with a student-athlete.”
Source: Former Nebraska basketball player Ashley Scoggin sues university for failing to protect her in an alleged ‘predatory situation’ involving an assistant coach with whom she had a sexual relationship.
