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Florida dismisses Title IX complaint against men's basketball coach Todd Golden
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- Florida dismisses Title IX complaint against men's basketball coach Todd Golden
The University of Florida has dismissed the Title IX investigation surrounding Gators men's basketball coach Todd Golden , his lawyer William Shepherd announced Monday.
The news of the dismissal comes just over four months after a formal complaint was filed against Golden for allegations of sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, stalking and cyberstalking.
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In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Shepherd wrote, "The University of Florida informed me that the Title IX investigation into Coach Todd Golden has finally been dismissed. This investigation has found no evidence to support the allegations against Coach Golden. The University's conclusion proves that the complaint was meritless."
The university released a statement on Monday confirming the investigation was closed.
"After a thorough investigation that included dozens of interviews over the past months, the University of Florida has found no evidence that Todd Golden violated Title IX," Florida spokesman Steve Orlando said.
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"Coach Golden and I have respected the process throughout while actively engaging with the University. However, there were many who did not respect the investigation process. Instead, they sought to target Coach Golden and drive their agenda and this investigation for their own self-interest. Some leaked confidential material to the media; falsely posed as a UF lawyer in an effort to intimidate; harassed UF students and parents to try to generate a false narrative; and harassed my client, his family and his friends," Shepherd's said in his statement.
As noted by The Gainesville Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network, the formal complaint against Golden was initiated on Sept. 27. He did not miss a game and was not suspended during the four-month investigation.
In that same Gainesville Sun article, the 39-year-old coach was accused of stalking, including, on more than one occasion, taking pictures of women walking or driving and sending them to the subjects of the photos. The complaint also accused Golden of showing up to locations that he knew the women would be at on more than one occasion.
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"The last several months have been a challenge for my family and me while this process dragged on. We asked for the public to allow the process to work through its conclusion and not rush to judgment based on allegations," Golden said in a statement on X on Monday. "The UAA and so many at the University have been tremendously supportive – my family and I are extremely grateful.
"And thank you to our fans for your incredible support of our players and our program. It has made a huge difference."
Golden is 58-31 overall in three seasons at Florida. Last year, he led the Gators to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021, ending in a first-round exit to Colorado.
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"The UAA acknowledges the completion of the review. We take these matters seriously and understand the need for the process to be conducted with strict confidentiality and discretion," Florida's University Athletic Association said in a statement to Matt Norlander and CBS Sports.
"Throughout this process Coach Golden has demonstrated tremendous focus and professionalism, and we commend him for that. As the Gators move forward, we reaffirm our commitment to promoting a championship experience with integrity."
Florida, which was ranked No. 6 in Monday's release of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll , will travel to No. 8 Tennessee on Saturday at noon ET for its lone game of the week.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Todd Golden Title IX complaint dismissed by University of Florida
