UF hoops asst. faces sexual assault allegations

A University of Florida athletics department employee filed a sexual assault complaint against an assistant men’s basketball coach Tuesday as the school continues to investigate head coach Todd Golden for alleged Title IX violations that became public in November.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, reported to the school’s Title IX office that in March 2024, assistant men’s basketball coach Taurean Green arranged a meeting with her in the athletic facilities, where he kissed her and tried to put his hand down her pants, according to a copy of the complaint reviewed by ESPN.

She pulled his hand away and said no, and he tried again, at which point she got away, according to the complaint. Until that day, she had never been alone with Green and had only exchanged casual greetings with him on campus, she told ESPN in an interview.

Green did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement, Florida spokesperson Steve Orlando told ESPN, “The law prohibits us from commenting on the existence or status of investigations. The University of Florida takes these matters seriously and conducts a thorough and deliberate process that ensures due process for everyone.”

The woman said she did not report the alleged incident at the time in part because of Green’s status. Green, who as a Florida player won NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007, joined the basketball staff in 2022 after playing in the NBA and overseas.

The woman told ESPN she decided to come forward after Title IX investigators working on the Golden case asked to interview her last fall about Golden’s interactions with female athletes. She said that inquiry made her realize there could be concerns about a pattern of behavior and other women could be affected.

She told ESPN she first reported her allegations in mid-December to Florida deputy athletics director Amy Meyers Hass. When asked what action was taken after she became aware of these allegations, Hass did not comment, citing confidentiality.

The allegation against Green is the second known Title IX complaint filed against a member of the Florida men’s basketball coaching staff in the past four months. The university is still investigating the Sept. 27 Title IX complaint against Golden that included allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking, according to copies of correspondence provided to ESPN and sources with direct knowledge of the investigation.

ESPN and the Florida Center for Government Accountability have made requests for records pertaining to the Title IX complaint and correspondence among certain Florida athletic and university officials. Those requests have been denied or have not received a response.

The Title IX complaint against Golden includes allegations that he sent photos and videos of his genitalia, made unwanted sexual advances on Instagram and requested sexual favors.

On multiple occasions, Golden allegedly took photos of women walking or driving — or their cars in various locations — and then sent those photos to the subjects of the photos. He also allegedly showed up to locations where he knew the women would be, according to the Title IX complaint.

In a Nov. 9 post on X, Golden wrote that he had been participating in the inquiry and was consulting with an attorney on bringing defamation claims. No such lawsuit has been filed.

Golden’s attorney, Ken Turkel, declined to comment Thursday.

Golden, who joined the Gators from the University of San Francisco in 2022, has continued to coach since the complaint was filed. Florida is currently 15-2 and ranked fifth in the AP Top 25.

One complainant in the Golden inquiry is a student at a college with a partnership program with Florida, according to her attorney, Karen Truszkowski. In response to an ESPN records request, university officials noted that the school could provide no record of her being a student at Florida. Another woman, who also spoke with Title IX investigators about unwanted behavior from Golden, is not a student and said she knows the basketball coach socially.

Both women have provided statements to Title IX investigators and have continued to correspond with them, according to Truszkowski.

Title IX is designed to protect students from discrimination, including sexual harassment. It is unclear how the two women’s status affects the investigation. Florida’s Title IX coordinator, Jackie Moran, did not respond to a question about how the law applies to complaints filed by non-students. Moran is an employee of Grand River Solutions, a private California firm Florida contracted last year to carry out its Title IX investigations, according to an agreement reviewed by ESPN.

“It doesn’t matter if a complainant is a student, employee or otherwise. The important question is, ‘Could this have an impact on the student body at large?'” Truszkowski said. “The Title IX department is looking into allegations involving current students as well.”

Golden initially signed a six-year, $18-million contract and agreed to a two-year extension last March that will keep him at Florida through the 2029-30 season. His contract, a copy of which ESPN has reviewed, prohibits “romantic, amorous and/or sexual relationships between any coach or other employee of the Association and any student athlete or other person subject to the supervision, control and/or authority of such coach or other employee.”

The contract also says the university can take disciplinary action if the coach acts in a manner “that has an ‘adverse effect’ or causes an ‘adverse reflection,’ on the reputation, mission and/or interests” of the athletic department or the university.

Paula Lavigne is an investigative reporter at ESPN. Reach her at paula.lavigne@espn.com.