Kentucky releases statement on lawsuit against former swim coach Lars Jorgensen

The University of Kentucky released a statement Wednesday in light of a lawsuit against the school filed late last week. The suit is against former swim coach Lars Jorgensen and others amid allegations of sexual abuse within the swimming program under his leadership.

According to the complaint, two former athletes accused Kentucky of “complicity” for enabling Jorgensen “to foster a toxic, sexually hostile environment within the swim program and to prey on, sexually harass, and commit horrific sexual assaults and violent rapes against young female coaches and collegiate athletes who were reliant on him,” The Athletic’s Katie Strang reported. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Eastern District Court of Kentucky against UK, Jorgensen, athletics director Mitch Barnhart and retired head swim coach Gary Conelly – Jorgensen’s predecessor.

Wednesday afternoon, UK addressed the situation and said it will cooperate with law enforcement.

Statement from University of Kentucky on recent sexual assault/abuse allegations involving former UK swim coach Lars Jorgensen: pic.twitter.com/jhQLCT4rq7

— Katie Strang (@KatieJStrang) April 17, 2024

“We are distressed to hear the disturbing allegations of sexual assault and criminal behavior by a former University of Kentucky employee,” the statement read. “No one should be subjected to the kind of abuse described in the civil lawsuit filed Friday. Once we learned of details of the allegations contained in the initial news article, we contacted law enforcement. We will cooperate fully.

“Our top priority is the health and safety of our students and employees. We have no tolerance for harm, harassment or abuse. To our employees, students and the entire University of Kentucky family, we want to be absolutely clear: we do not tolerate these types of behaviors. We will do everything possible to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff.”

Former UK swimmer speaks out after lawsuit filed

One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit also spoke out Wednesday in an interview with The Athletic. Briggs Alexander said the university’s Title IX office didn’t want him to come forward about the allegations.

Alexander, who now identifies as male, was a member of the women’s swim team at Kentucky and later became an assistant coach. He alleged Jorgensen made sexual comments toward him and sent sexually explicit content to his phone while on the team. Then, during the 2021 season while transitioning, he alleged Jorgensen groped him at a staff dinner and raped him “on one occasion,” Alexander told The Athletic.

Once Alexander went to Kentucky’s Title IX office, he said he was “discouraged” from saying anything.

“I thought I could trust them,” Alexander told The Athletic. “I went to them and disclosed my abuse and thought it was going to be taken care of. … I was repeatedly discouraged and vigorously discouraged to not come forward.”

Jorgensen was Kentucky’s head swim coach from 2013 until his resignation in June 2023. Before that, he served as an assistant coach with the program before Conelly announced his retirement. Jorgensen was at the center of an NCAA investigation at the time, according to SwimSwam, which covers competitive swimming. He was effectively serving a “suspension,” the report said, after the NCAA looked into alleged compliance rules violations – which was not Jorgensen’s “first offense.”