The University of Florida exonerated men's basketball coach Todd Golden following a four-month Title IX investigation into allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and bullying.
The school issued a statement Monday saying no evidence was found and ended its investigation in the midst of No. 5 Florida's best season in a decade, with the Gators winning 18 of their first 20 games.
“The University of Florida takes these matters seriously and works deliberately to ensure due process is respected for everyone,” university spokesman Steve Orlando said in a statement.
'After a thorough investigation that included dozens of interviews over the past several months, the University of Florida has found no evidence that Todd Golden violated Title IX. The Title IX office has closed its investigation.
Golden previously avoided denying the allegations “out of respect for the process” and threatened legal action, presumably against his publicly anonymous accusers. He also recently broke procedures that are supposed to be confidential.
“I'm just frustrated and disappointed that a Title IX mechanism created to protect both parties during a situation like this continues to be abused, that confidentiality and privacy continue to be abused,” Golden said earlier this month after after assistant coach Taurean Green was accused of sexual assault. in another case of Title IX.
Todd Golden has been cleared in an investigation into allegations of sexual exploitation, harassment and stalking.
The complaint against Golden accuses him of sending photos and videos of his genitals, making unwanted sexual advances on Instagram and requesting sexual favors. The Independent Florida Alligator first reported on the allegations in early November.
Title IX is designed to protect students from discrimination, including sexual harassment. Florida began outsourcing its Title IX investigations in 2023 to Grand River Solutions, a private company based in California.
Golden, 39, signed a two-year contract extension last March that included a $1 million raise and raised his annual salary to $4 million. The agreement extends until the 2029-30 season. He has a 58-31 record in three seasons.
Its contract prohibits “romantic, romantic, and/or sexual relationships between any coach or other employee of the Association and any student-athlete or other person subject to the supervision, control, and/or authority of such coach or other employee.”
It also says the university can take disciplinary action if the coach acts in a way “that has an 'adverse effect' or causes an 'adverse reflection' on the reputation, mission and/or interests” of the athletic department or the university. .
Meanwhile, the case against Green is still ongoing. Green is accused of kissing an athletic department employee and trying to put his hand down her pants in March 2024, according to a complaint reviewed by ESPN.
The woman said she did not report the alleged incident at the time, in part because of Green's condition. Green, who won NCAA championships as a player with the Gators in 2006 and 2007, joined the basketball staff in 2022 after a professional basketball career.
The woman told ESPN that she came forward after Title IX investigators working on Golden's case asked to interview her last fall about Golden's interactions with female athletes. He said that investigation made him realize there could be concerns about a pattern of behavior within the program.