This sounds pretty bad for LSU. And f*ck the SEC and NCAA
Two years ago, the NCAA, SEC and LSU’s president and top legal counsel were all warned that LSU’s athletics department had potentially run afoul of federal law over its handling
www.theadvocate.com
"Two years ago, the NCAA, SEC and LSU’s president and top legal counsel were all warned that LSU’s athletics department had potentially run afoul of federal law over its handling of allegations that a football player was physically abusive toward the tennis player he was dating.
In Oct. 18, 2018 letters to the NCAA and to the SEC, David Lewis — father of former LSU tennis star Jade Lewis — told the governing bodies that LSU officials had repeatedly failed to take appropriate action after they were confronted months earlier with allegations that wide receiver Drake Davis was abusing their daughter."
"Though LSU conducted a Title IX investigation into Davis, it's unclear whether anyone at the NCAA, SEC or within LSU investigated — or doled out any punishments — over Lewis' allegations that administrators had failed to follow up on abuse allegations."
"Skinner, LSU’s former legal counsel, did not return messages. He left LSU for the University of San Diego shortly after the departure of Alexander."
"But police reports show Skinner was aware of the Davis case well before he received the letter forwarded by Vincent in October 2018. Skinner was present when police interviewed a football player on Sept. 10, 2018, who reported that Davis was continuing to abuse Lewis after his first arrest. Police arrested Davis again nearly a week later."
"In the three-page letter that David Lewis sent to the NCAA and SEC, he outlined seven potential recruiting and other rule violations related to the LSU tennis team, and he warned the officials about his daughter’s abuse."
Here is Drake Davis timeline for reference:
Drake Davis
- January 2017: Davis starts dating a women’s tennis player.
- May 2017: The woman says she told a (tennis) team athletic trainer, Donavon White, that Davis punched her in the stomach during an argument. (White later tells police he did not learn about the abuse until April 2018.)
- Summer 2017: The woman’s father told tennis coach Mike Sell that Davis punched his daughter. (Mike and Julia sell later told police they did not learn about the abuse until June 2018.)
- April 14, 2018: Davis tells Verge Ausberry in a text message that he got into a physical altercation with the woman, and that they had punched each other. The article does not indicate whether Ausberry reported the text message (LSU declined to answer).
- April 25, 2018: The woman tells White, senior athletic trainer Micki Collins, and senior associate A.D. Segar that Davis punched her in the ribs. Segar files a Title IX report (according to a later police report).
- May 21, 2018: The woman is interviewed by Title IX investigator Jeffrey Scott.
- June 18, 2018: Davis enters the woman’s apartment drunk, hits her, and strangles her. The police are called around 2 AM. The police separate them but make no arrests (both Davis and the woman say the argument had not turned physical).
- July 11, 2018: Davis called in for an interview with Jonathan Sanders, who runs LSU’s student judicial affairs. Mickey Joseph attends the meeting as well. They discuss the June 18 incident, and Davis says the argument did not turn physical. The woman corroborates that claim two weeks later.
- Summer 2018 (exact timing unknown): Davis banned from offseason workouts.
- August 4, 2018: Davis participates in the team’s first practice according to news reports.
- August 16, 2018: The woman shows Segar photos of bruises and scratches, as well as threatening text messages. Segar calls campus police, who arrested Davis and charged him with felony dating violence. Davis is indefinitely suspended from the team.
- September 16, 2018: Davis arrested again. He withdraws from the university the following day.
- March 2019: Davis pleads guilty to two batteries and violating a protective order.
