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Todd Golden facing accusations of sexual harassment and stalking, per report
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Todd Golden, the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Florida, has been accused by an “undefined number” of women for sexual harassment and repeated instances of stalking, according to a report on Friday.
The report comes from The Alligator, the student newspaper at the University of Florida, and cites a formal Title IX complaint the school received on Sept. 27. It alleges that Golden violated the UF Gender Equity Policy. A spokesperson for the school declined to comment when reached by The Alligator so as to comply with federal law regarding any Title IX inquiries, complaints or investigations.
According to the report, Golden is accused of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, and stalking aimed at UF students for over a year. Golden allegedly sent photos and videos of his genitalia while traveling for UF, requested sexual favors, and made unwanted sexual advances through Instagram.
The Alligator spoke with 2 women who said a “small amount of action” had thus far been taken by the school.
From the report:
The first woman, a former UF student, said that Golden stalked her in person, both in his car and on foot, and that this occurred “more than 10 times.” On one occasion, she said she posted her location on her Instagram story, and Golden messaged her shortly after saying that he was in the area “waiting for [her].”
She also said Golden sent unsolicited photos of his genitalia to her. On multiple occasions, the first woman said she received the photos while the team was traveling on the road. The nature of Golden’s alleged stalking became more assertive over time, she said.
“At first, it starts off slow, like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s odd. This guy is showing us attention,’” the first woman said. “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.
Golden, 39, is in his third season leading the Florida basketball program. He took the Gators to the NCAA Tournament last season and received an extension from the school in March 2024. Golden was hired by athletic director Scott Stricklin from San Francisco ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
