LSU suspends 2 athletic officials for not reporting misconduct allegations

LSU suspended a pair of athletic officials in the wake of an independent investigation that found the school regularly mishandled allegations of sexual assault and dating violence.

Senior associate athletic director Verge Ausberry will be suspended for 30 days and senior associate athletic director Miriam Segar for 21 days, interim president Tom Galligan announced Friday.

Neither person will be paid during their ban, and both will undergo sexual violence training.

According to the investigation, conducted by Husch Blackwell, LSU didn't handle misconduct complaints "in a manner consistent with obligations under Title IX, widely recognized best practices and/or university policy."

Title IX is a law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. The university's own policies require campus officials to report sexual assault claims so the school's office can conduct an initial investigation. However, the report found LSU ignored complaints against abusers and denied requests for protections on multiple occasions over the last few years.

Galligan said he plans to act on all 18 of Husch Blackwell's recommendations, including properly hiring Title IX staff for the school, which hadn't previously existed.

"Perhaps most troubling of all the report’s findings is the understanding that, whether through our actions or inactions, our institution betrayed the very people we are sworn to protect," Galligan said in a statement, according to SI's Glen West.

"Our job is to protect our students and support them in their times of need. It has become clear we haven’t always fully lived up to our commitment. That will no longer be the case."

Scott Schneider, an attorney for Husch Blackwell, said LSU has made "modest improvements" in the athletic department under current AD Scott Woodward in the last 12-18 months, according to Julie Boudwin of Tiger Details.