Louisiana State University suspended two senior administrators in the wake of a stinging report Friday that chronicled the school’s failure to protect students from sexual assaults.
The 262 pages of findings, compiled by an outside law firm found that LSU has, for years, failed to provide victims of sexual assault and harassment a pathway to report and gave athletic department officials undue influence in the school’s handling of complaints.
“We have to own up to the mistakes we have made up in the past,” LSU interim President Thomas Galligan told reporters after the report was shared with members of LSU’s Board of Supervisors. “We have got to change this culture.”
Executive Deputy Director of Athletics Verge Ausberry and Senior Associate Athletic Director Miriam Segar were suspended for 30 and 21 days without pay, respectively, for mishandling complaints made about student-athletes and in one case, a report by an athlete of his own actions, LSU officials announced on Friday.
The inquiry was commissioned following an extensive USA Today report last year on the school’s seeming lack of action against several male students, including athletes, who were accused of sexual misconduct.
“Throughout this report, we have stressed that in many ways the employees tasked with these important responsibilities were not served well by the leadership (of LSU),” according to a report by national law firm Husch Blackwell.
“Institutional policies were unclear, edicts were issued by supervisors…
