Ex-Evansville CBB Coach Walter McCarty Accused of Sexually Assaulting Former Student

A former University of Evansville student filed a federal lawsuit Monday accusing Walter McCarty, the school's former men's basketball coach, of sexual assault and alleging the university failed to provide a safe environment.

Chad Lindskog of the Evansville Courier & Press reported McCarty, who was fired in January 2020 following an investigation into sexual impropriety, denied the allegations. Results of the prior investigation were never publicly released.

"It's untrue, and I can't wait for the evidence to present itself that it's a totally fabricated story," McCarty told Lindskog. "I've never assaulted anyone in my 47 years on this Earth. It's disheartening that someone would make up a lie to gain financial rewards."

The former student, listed as Jane Doe in the Title IX lawsuit, also worked as an athletic trainer at Evansville. She alleged McCarty sent her inappropriate messages via Instagram, Snapchat and text before pressuring her to come to his house, per Lingskog.

She visited his home Dec. 9, 2019, and the lawsuit says McCarty sexually assaulted her by touching her breasts and buttocks and digitally penetrating her. Attorneys for the woman said her allegations were reported to a campus counselor three days later.

The lawsuit, which says the school knew of at least seven other complaints against McCarty, said the former student has experienced "severe stress, academic setbacks and threats of retaliation." She's seeking an unspecified amount of financial compensation.

Doe released a statement in coordination with the lawsuit being filed:

"The female students and employees who experienced this pattern of harassment and sexual misconduct are real people, real women who simply wanted a safe environment to learn and work in, and our university failed us. I am heartbroken that my school knew about Coach McCarty's misconduct before what happened to me, and looked the other way. I will continue to go through this difficult process of holding the university accountable, because I want to prevent other women from going through the same thing I did."

The University of Evansville also released a statement to Lindskog, saying it "disputes the legal claims from Jane Doe and her attorney. The University is confident it responded appropriately to all reports of misconduct regarding Mr. McCarty based on information it actually knew at the time; the University is similarly confident it responded reasonably to Jane Doe's report."

McCarty, 47, was hired by Evansville in March 2018 after 11 years as an assistant coach at Louisville and with the NBA's Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics.

As a player, he won an NCAA championship with Kentucky in 1996 before playing 10 NBA seasons with the Celtics, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers.

He's a native of Evansville, Indiana, and returned to his hometown for his first head coaching job.