College basketball season kicked off with a major controversy.
A scandal created one of the biggest headlines.
And a Florida college basketball coach was accused of this sick crime on campus.
Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden accused of sexual harassment
University of Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden came into the college basketball season with high expectations in his third season at the school.
The team was coming off a birth in the NCAA tournament last year, but controversy ensued when the college’s student newspaper, The Alligator, reported that Golden was accused of sexual harassment and stalking.
He had been accused by several female students at the University of Florida of harassing them via social media among other complaints.
A Title IX complaint was filed with the university accusing him of violating the university’s gender equity policy.
The Alligator reported that Golden sent unwanted explicit photos to female students via social media and used them to make unwanted sexual advances.
He was also accused of taking pictures of women on campus walking or driving and sending them to the students.
And he was stalking women by showing up at locations on campus where he knew they would be.
One woman told The Alligator that Golden would message female students before games to tell them they were his “good luck charm.”
“He had this manipulation tactic over everyone,” the woman said. “And he sent us all the same s***. It was copy-paste to every girl.”
Another woman accused the coaching staff of the Florida Gators men’s basketball team of creating a “culture of sexual harassment.”
Golden acknowledged in a statement that he was under investigation by the university.
“For the last month, I have actively participated in and respected the confidentiality of an ongoing school inquiry,” Golden wrote on X. “I have recently engaged Ken Turkel to advise me on my ability to bring defamation claims while this confidential investigation is ongoing. My family and I appreciate the support we have received and remain confident the university will continue its efforts to finish its review promptly.”
Coach Golden addresses the sexual harassment allegations against him
The university did not suspend Golden while the allegations against him were being investigated.
Fans cheered him when his name was announced before Florida’s home game against Grambling.
Golden admitted after the Gators victory over Grambling that he was dealing with tough circumstances and said that fans’ response “was great. I thought [fans] were as usual, and obviously during the current circumstances, I appreciated it.”
The 39-year-old coach referred questions about the scandal in the postgame press conference to the statement he made.
A reporter asked him what he would tell women who are fans of the Gators basketball team.
“Obviously, in this situation, due process and to continue to support our guys, and I just would hope that they would allow the process to take place and see where it ends up,” Golden said.
The Florida Gators basketball team will try to compete in the SEC and return to the NCAA tournament while their coach is embroiled in scandal.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this story.
