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Former Evansville coach Walter McCarty accused of sexual assault by student

Evansville v Kentucky

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - NOVEMBER 12: Walter McCarty the head coach of the Evansville Aces gives instructions to his team in the 67-64 win over the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on November 12, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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Walter McCarty is facing potential legal issues stemming from a female student who reported she was sexually assaulted by the fired former Evansville head coach.

According to a statement released to the Courier & Press, the student hired Dallas-based Simpson Tuegel Law Firm to handle her case. The release notes that prominent victim’s rights attorney Michelle Simpson Tuegel will represent the student. Tuegel previously represented sexual abuse survivors in the high-profile case of Larry Nassar against Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
McCarty was placed on administrative leave on Dec. 27 before being fired on Jan. 21 for alleged sexual misconduct.

Evansville received additional reports of alleged misconduct while McCarty was on administrative leave -- leading to his dismissal.

“This was the classic power imbalance,” Tuegel wrote in the release. “He was the town sweetheart, grew up in Evansville, returned after a successful NBA career and coached the basketball team to national success. When McCarty saw that the victim was in too vulnerable a position to protest his behavior toward her, he assaulted her. Thankfully, she reached out to a friend for support and the assault was reported to the university.”

Tuegel also noted in the statement that her firm is investigating the other claims against McCarty. Once Evansville University’s internal investigation is complete, Tuegel will determine if any potential civil actions will come from the victims.
“It’s clear that my client wasn’t the only victim,” Tuegel said. “We have been informed that other women have come forward about McCarty’s sexual misconduct. It’s important that other survivors of this man’s acts know that they’re not alone, and we would encourage them to reach out to someone to report the misconduct. These women deserve to learn and work in an environment free of sexual violence and sexual harassment. My client asks that the community remain supportive of the men’s basketball team, as well as the additional survivors who have come forward.”

It will take some time to determine what Evansville finds in its internal investigation. But things are moving forward quickly now that Tuegel and her law firm are backing the case. McCarty is already in enough trouble to have lost his job despite a promising start to the season. Things will get even worse if more evidence is uncovered.