Ashley Scoggin, a former guard for the Nebraska women’s basketball team, has filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court that alleges coach Amy Williams and athletic director Trev Alberts didn’t take proper action after they found out about her sexual relationship with then-associate head coach Chuck Love.
According to the suit, Love allegedly honed in on Scoggin, and eventually the relationship became sexual, which Scoggin said she was afraid to back out of for fear of retaliation if she refused to participate
Williams declined comment, and neither Alberts nor Love responded to requests for comments, the Associated Press reported.
“It’s a very troubling and serious subject of predatory coaches that pursue sexual relationships with student-athletes,” Scoggin attorney Maren Chaloupka said Monday. “There’s an enormous imbalance of power between the professional coach and student-athletes. This is something that was well known in 2022.“Certainly Division I universities that operate at the top level are well aware of the harm that comes from this kind of a predatory situation, and there’s a strong onus on the university and on the coaches to prevent this from happening and, heaven forbid it does happen, to address [it] correctly.”
On the same day that Love was suspended, with pay, in February 2022, Scoggin was dismissed from the Cornhuskers after two seasons. She now plays at UNLV, while Love resigned three months after his suspension.
Scoggin’s attorney filed the lawsuit on Sunday, and Nebraska said it became aware of it on Monday.
“While the University does not comment on the specifics of pending litigation, it does not agree with the allegations contained in the complaint and intends to vigorously defend this matter,” Melissa Lee, a university spokeswoman, said in a statement.
The lawsuit explained that the situation started in 2021 with Scoggin expressing interest in coaching someday, and Love presenting an opportunity for her to come under his wing. She sat at a small table in his office, and he allegedly began to ask her personal questions.
Even though he was married, Scoggin said Love repeatedly asked her out on dates, which she declined. When she finally accepted one of his invitations, he allegedly kissed her in a parking lot and then asked her, “Have you ever done anything with a coach before?”
It was at that point she said she understood that Love allegedly wanted a physical relationship, and this left Scoggin feeling trapped.
A few months later, fellow teammates and male practice players created a trap for Scoggin and recorded her in Love’s room. The video was presented to Williams, and chaos ensued.
“Williams cast Ashley in the role of a seducer and a liar,” the lawsuit states. “She allowed the players to berate and accuse Ashley for hours. She did not redirect or counsel the players that what they had seen may be the result of an abuse of power by her associate head coach.”
After this point, Scoggin said she wasn’t made aware of her Title IX protections and was later told by Williams that she was off the team.
“NU, Williams and Alberts were motivated to avoid scandal and embarrassment to the Cornhuskers women’s basketball program instead of being motivated to protect its student-athlete, Ashley,” the lawsuit said.
“NU, Williams and Alberts allowed the speculation and perception to fester that Ashley was ‘equally to blame’ or otherwise had done something improper when they should have sent a clear message that it is always improper for a professional coach to pursue a sexual relationship with a student-athlete.”
