university file photo.
Aidan Gregg | Editor-in-Chief | agregg1@butler.edu
Content Warning: Explicit references to sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and grooming.
Butler University and Ralph Leaf, senior associate athletic director for student-athlete health, performance and well-being, responded to the allegations of sexual abuse and negligence. suspicion Four current and former women's soccer players have filed charges against them. Also on March 4, former assistant athletic trainer Michael Howell filed a complaint. cross claim He alleged the university's negligence against Butler.
first lawsuit
In September 2021, six women's soccer players reported sexual misconduct by Howell to women's soccer co-head coach Tali St. John. Following these reports, then-Title IX Coordinator Maria Kanger began an investigation into Howell. The investigation found that Howell “abused his authority and power over Ms. Doe to isolate, manipulate, control, and sexually assault her, without her consent and against her on his own.” It turned out that he went there many times for sexual gratification.
Since then, three plaintiffs (Jane Does 1, 2, and 3) have filed suit. First lawsuit against HowellA fourth player, Jane Doe 4, also came forward in August, alleging grooming, manipulation and sexual abuse by Howell. The players are accusing Leaf and Butler of negligence and gross negligence, and Howell and Butler of assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The defendant disputes the plaintiff's use of a false name, and Leaf and Butler have moved to dismiss the negligence and gross negligence charges brought against the defendant. The district court judge denied all of defendant's motions.
Butler refutes allegations
The University and Leaf responded to each of the four plaintiffs' complaints on March 4, 2024. The university said it acted “immediately” and “intensively” after receiving reports of misconduct.
The players, along with coaches St. John Allman and Rob Allman, said they received no education or training on appropriate behavior as athletic trainers. Riff also said Howell had stopped submitting required written reports and that he knew Howell held a unique position of authority as an athletic trainer. Despite this, Leaf “never asked, investigated, or raised any questions about the safety of our female athletes or implemented or followed any safety protocols.” In their response, Butler and Leaf denied the above allegations.
Butler and Rife further state in their response that any professional standard of care claims should be barred because the defendants have not sought relief below. Indiana medical malpractice law. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II previously ruled against Butler, asserting that the case was not subject to medical malpractice laws because “sexual abuse is not a medical procedure.”
The university and Leaf are seeking compensation for legal costs, and the plaintiffs will receive nothing.
Mr. Howell has filed a cross-suit against Mr. Butler and Mr. Leaf, and the university is moving to dismiss them.
Mr. Howell also filed his own counterclaim against Butler University on March 4.
Similar to the women's soccer players' complaint, Howell said the university “does not maintain any written policies, procedures, or protocols regarding athletic trainers providing services to athletes, let alone providing services to athletes of the opposite sex.” “I haven't done that,” he said. He said this inaction left the organization vulnerable to allegations from female soccer players. The women's soccer players allege in their complaint that Butler's inaction enabled Howell to groom and sexually abuse them.
Howell also said that the hotel rooms where members of the women's soccer team allege the sexual assaults were booked by coaches and staff so they could train competitively there. He said these rooms were also equipped with the materials needed to conduct the training and that no one had ever suggested that he should be supervised. In its response to the players' complaints, the university acknowledged that St. John and Armand knew Howell was using the hotel room for massages.
The first count of Howell's counterclaim against Butler stated that the university discriminated against Howell on the basis of his gender, namely that he is male. Howell said the Title IX investigation against him was handled improperly and that he was “systematically disadvantaged” as the only male party to the case. He alleges that his subsequent termination for discrimination itself violates Title IX.
It added: “Mr. Butler has succumbed to public pressure to take a strong stance against allegations of misconduct against female student-athletes following numerous high-profile incidents of misconduct against female student-athletes.”
The female soccer players' complaint cited high-profile precedents, including sexual abuse by athletes. larry nassar, former USA Gymnast and Michigan State University physician. Rachel Denhollander, a former gymnast who publicly came forward to say she was sexually abused by Nassar, has joined the women's soccer player's legal team as an advisor.
The second count concerns defamation by the university against Howell. He argued that the Title IX hearing officer made false and defamatory findings that the university republished to multiple third parties and that in doing so “acted with actual malice and/or “He recklessly disregarded the truth or falsity of statements made about Howell.”
The third count reiterates the university's failure to protect Howell and take appropriate conduct procedures. He said there are no written policies in place regarding acceptable athletic training protocols, locker room usage, communication with student-athletes, and documentation required for training services provided. He said such a policy would have protected him from “false allegations” levied in the lawsuit against him.
Howell is seeking a jury trial on charges of Title IX violations, defamation and negligence.
The university sued to dismiss the Title IX violation and defamation charges. Because Title IX concerns education discrimination, the university argues that the statute is irrelevant to Mr. Howell's employment discrimination claims.they added this Title VII It is a law that governs issues of employment discrimination. On the defamation charge, the university is seeking dismissal because Mr. Howell did not make any specific defamatory statements. Mr. Butler has not moved to dismiss his negligence charges.
No date has been set for a hearing on Mr. Howell's counterclaim. The trial against the plaintiffs brought by female soccer players is scheduled to begin on June 16, 2025. Players are looking for “recovery.'' [their] Force Butler to institute safety protocols to prevent injury or damage [their] Current teammates and future athletes force Butler to contact former student-athletes to assess whether they too have been abused by Howell and if they need resources or support. , prevent Howell from holding a license that gives him the ability to abuse others, and force the defendants to be held accountable.their acts and inactions that allowed dangerous predators free access and abuse; [them] and many other young female athletes. ”
Butler Collegian will continue to investigate and report on this matter..
