A former member of the Nebraska women's basketball team is suing the University of Nebraska after she was dismissed from the team amid allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an assistant coach.
In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Sunday, Ashley Scoggin accused former associate head coach Chuck Love of using his position and influence with head coach Amy Williams to groom her into a sexual relationship.
The lawsuit also alleges Williams and Husker Athletic Director Trev Alberts failed to ensure the coaching staff maintained appropriate boundaries with student-athletes and of violating her rights.
Scoggin was removed from the team and Love was suspended from his coaching duties in February 2022 after other members of the team discovered them together in a hotel room on a road trip.
According to the lawsuit, Scoggin said Love began grooming her months earlier, in the summer of 2021, when she secured an internship within Husker Athletics and was invited to work in his office, spending one-on-one time with him.
Love began contacting Scoggin late at night on social media, asking the college student to meet him, and sometimes Williams’ husband, for drinks, the lawsuit alleges. Scoggin said she initially declined the invitations, but later accepted, meeting Love in the parking lot of a Costco.
At Love’s request, Scoggin said she brought alcohol with her to a subsequent meeting in the parking lot, according to the lawsuit, where he kissed her and asked if she had previously ever had an intimate relationship with a coach.
“Love had already offered and given her mentoring, individual practice sessions, academic coaching, and the implied promise of support of her career,” the complaint states. “It was now undeniable that Love wanted a sexual relationship.”
Scoggin said in the lawsuit she felt “confused and trapped” by Love and feared retaliation from Williams, which led her to keep the interaction to herself. Love would share information about discussions among the coaching staff with her, she said.
“Love, acting in the course and scope of his employment and under color of state law, created the perception for (Scoggin) that he could ‘make her or break her’ in terms of her participation on the women’s basketball team and her future,” the lawsuit states.
The relationship eventually became sexual, according to the lawsuit, and the two would meet “in different locations” in university athletics’ facilities, or in his hotel room during road games: “Love expected her to become available whenever he texted or messaged her.”
The complaint indicates Scoggin began to suspect others were aware of the inappropriate relationship but did not know how to remove herself from the situation before the Huskers traveled to Penn State for a Feb. 17, 2022 game.
There, according to the complaint, a member of the practice squad represented himself as Love to an employee of the hotel in order to obtain a copy of the room key. Two members of the Husker squad later confronted Scoggin in Love’s room, recording the interaction.
“Love instructed (Scoggin) to deny anything improper, and he told her that he would talk to Williams,” the lawsuit states.
Williams called a team meeting before the game where she allowed other players to “interrogate” both Scoggin and Love about their relationship for hours, but both denied anything improper, according to the complaint.
“(Scoggin) felt panicked, trapped and profoundly ashamed,” the lawsuit states. “She could not, in that setting with Love inches away and watching her, admit the truth of what was happening.”
Love was suspended with pay before the game, while Scoggin was removed from the team. The lawsuit states another unnamed player told Scoggin that Love would lose his job if she said anything, while Love encouraged her to claim she was mentally ill.
On Feb. 20, 2022, after Nebraska's win over Minnesota, Williams declined comment when asked directly multiple questions about the situation.
“All of those things are questions that, at this time, I can’t really answer,” Williams said. “We’re going to keep our focus on the team that we have moving forward.”
Scoggin later had a meeting with her parents, Williams, and Alberts, in which she said the university employees “were motivated to avoid scandal and embarrassment” to the women’s basketball team instead of protecting a student-athlete.
The lawsuit states Alberts did not acknowledge it was improper for coaches to pursue sexual relationships with athletes, and there was no discussion about whether or not Love had acted inappropriately leading up to Scoggin being in his hotel room.
Alberts later told Scoggin and her parents that Williams would decide how the situation would be handled, in which the punishment was affirmed.
Scoggin said in the lawsuit no investigation was ordered until she started a Title IX complaint on March 11, 2022. The Title IX investigation was later dropped after Love resigned in May.
As a result of her being removed from the team, Scoggin lost her housing, access to game film, and other athletic amenities, and finished the academic semester online.
She eventually transferred to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Scoggin is seeking punitive damages, attorney's fees, and other compensation for her physical and mental pain and suffering at a jury trial, as well as "other and further relief as this court deems equitable and proper."
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In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Sunday, Ashley Scoggin accused former associate head coach Chuck Love of using his position and influence with head coach Amy Williams to groom her into a sexual relationship.
The lawsuit also alleges Williams and Husker Athletic Director Trev Alberts failed to ensure the coaching staff maintained appropriate boundaries with student-athletes and of violating her rights.
Scoggin was removed from the team and Love was suspended from his coaching duties in February 2022 after other members of the team discovered them together in a hotel room on a road trip.
According to the lawsuit, Scoggin said Love began grooming her months earlier, in the summer of 2021, when she secured an internship within Husker Athletics and was invited to work in his office, spending one-on-one time with him.
Love began contacting Scoggin late at night on social media, asking the college student to meet him, and sometimes Williams’ husband, for drinks, the lawsuit alleges. Scoggin said she initially declined the invitations, but later accepted, meeting Love in the parking lot of a Costco.
At Love’s request, Scoggin said she brought alcohol with her to a subsequent meeting in the parking lot, according to the lawsuit, where he kissed her and asked if she had previously ever had an intimate relationship with a coach.
“Love had already offered and given her mentoring, individual practice sessions, academic coaching, and the implied promise of support of her career,” the complaint states. “It was now undeniable that Love wanted a sexual relationship.”
Scoggin said in the lawsuit she felt “confused and trapped” by Love and feared retaliation from Williams, which led her to keep the interaction to herself. Love would share information about discussions among the coaching staff with her, she said.
“Love, acting in the course and scope of his employment and under color of state law, created the perception for (Scoggin) that he could ‘make her or break her’ in terms of her participation on the women’s basketball team and her future,” the lawsuit states.
The relationship eventually became sexual, according to the lawsuit, and the two would meet “in different locations” in university athletics’ facilities, or in his hotel room during road games: “Love expected her to become available whenever he texted or messaged her.”
The complaint indicates Scoggin began to suspect others were aware of the inappropriate relationship but did not know how to remove herself from the situation before the Huskers traveled to Penn State for a Feb. 17, 2022 game.
There, according to the complaint, a member of the practice squad represented himself as Love to an employee of the hotel in order to obtain a copy of the room key. Two members of the Husker squad later confronted Scoggin in Love’s room, recording the interaction.
“Love instructed (Scoggin) to deny anything improper, and he told her that he would talk to Williams,” the lawsuit states.
Williams called a team meeting before the game where she allowed other players to “interrogate” both Scoggin and Love about their relationship for hours, but both denied anything improper, according to the complaint.
“(Scoggin) felt panicked, trapped and profoundly ashamed,” the lawsuit states. “She could not, in that setting with Love inches away and watching her, admit the truth of what was happening.”
Love was suspended with pay before the game, while Scoggin was removed from the team. The lawsuit states another unnamed player told Scoggin that Love would lose his job if she said anything, while Love encouraged her to claim she was mentally ill.
On Feb. 20, 2022, after Nebraska's win over Minnesota, Williams declined comment when asked directly multiple questions about the situation.
“All of those things are questions that, at this time, I can’t really answer,” Williams said. “We’re going to keep our focus on the team that we have moving forward.”
Scoggin later had a meeting with her parents, Williams, and Alberts, in which she said the university employees “were motivated to avoid scandal and embarrassment” to the women’s basketball team instead of protecting a student-athlete.
The lawsuit states Alberts did not acknowledge it was improper for coaches to pursue sexual relationships with athletes, and there was no discussion about whether or not Love had acted inappropriately leading up to Scoggin being in his hotel room.
Alberts later told Scoggin and her parents that Williams would decide how the situation would be handled, in which the punishment was affirmed.
Scoggin said in the lawsuit no investigation was ordered until she started a Title IX complaint on March 11, 2022. The Title IX investigation was later dropped after Love resigned in May.
As a result of her being removed from the team, Scoggin lost her housing, access to game film, and other athletic amenities, and finished the academic semester online.
She eventually transferred to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Scoggin is seeking punitive damages, attorney's fees, and other compensation for her physical and mental pain and suffering at a jury trial, as well as "other and further relief as this court deems equitable and proper."
Former Nebraska player accuses ex-coach of grooming her into sexual relationship
In a lawsuit, Ashley Scoggin accused former associate head coach Chuck Love of using his position and influence with head coach Amy Williams to groom her into a sexual relationship.
