Florida dismisses Title IX investigation into Todd Golden

In November, Florida men’s basketball head coach Todd Golden confirmed he was under investigation following allegations of sexual harassment, stalking and cyberstalking from multiple women, including students. On Monday, Mark Long reported that Florida “found no evidence that men’s basketball coach Todd Golden violated Title IX. The Title IX office has closed its investigation.”

Despite the investigation, Golden has continued to serve as Florida’s head coach this season. As of this report, the Gators are 18-2 and 5-2 in conference play. Nonetheless, the discussion surrounding the investigation into Golden hasn’t quieted.

Todd Golden was accused by an unknown number of women of sexual harassment and stalking, according to a report from Florida’s student newspaper, The Alligator.

The allegations included sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking aimed at Florida students for over a year, according to a formal Title IX complaint obtained by The Alligator.

The University of Florida administration didn’t comment to The Alligator, citing federal law that prevents them from confirming or commenting on Title IX processes.

The Alligator also reported on the purported nature of the alleged sexual harassment outlined in the complaint, which reportedly included “unwanted sexual advances on Instagram, requesting sexual favors, sending photos and videos of his genitalia while traveling for UF and various occasions of stalking.”

Golden is also alleged to have gone to various locations he knew the women would be, as well as taking pictures of them or their vehicles and sending them to them, according to the report. He is also alleged to have used Instagram to try and engage with the women, liking a post and quickly unliking it, but still causing a notification, according to the report.

Additionally, The Alligator spoke to multiple women who attested to the alleged behaviors from Golden.

One, a Florida student, said Golden stalked her both on foot and in his car upwards of 10 times and also responded to her posting her location on Instagram by saying he was in the area “waiting for [her],” according to the report. This woman also said Golden sent unsolicited photos of his genitalia to her, often when he was traveling with the team on the road.

“At first, it starts off slow, like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s odd. This guy is showing us attention,’” that woman said to The Alligator. “And then it becomes, ‘Wow, he’s kind of crossing a line. No, he didn’t mean it that way.’ Then it’s, ‘Wait, he’s fully stepping over that line.’ And then it’s, ‘Wow, there’s a picture of his d*ck.’ It was a full grooming process with all of us.”

The Alligator also examined Golden’s Instagram activity, and found that he unfollowed 118 accounts between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1 of 2024 and that at least 20 appear to be “young women without connection to the Florida basketball program, or any other organizations that Golden has previous affiliated with.” The women confirmed with The Alligator that Golden had blocked them.

A second woman told The Alligator that Golden told numerous women that they were “his drug” or “his good luck charm” before games. In spite of the women’s claims, Florida found no evidence that Golden violated Title IX.

On3’s Andrew Graham also contributed to this report.