Les Miles Warned to Stop Contacting Female Students After 2013 Harassment Probe

Former LSU and current Kansas head coach Les Miles received a warning to stop contacting female students following a 2013 investigation into harassment made against him.

Per an internal investigation by LSU obtained by Kenny Jacoby, Nancy Armour and Jessica Luther of USA Today, the school said Miles "would lose his job and violate his contract" if he continued to have contact with female students. 

Jacoby, Armour and Luther noted the investigation found Miles didn't have sexual relationships with any of the women who accused him of harassment, but "it found his behavior inappropriate."

The accusations against Miles, according to the investigation, included "texting female students, taking them to his condo alone, making them feel uncomfortable and, on at least one occasion, kissing a student and suggesting they go to a hotel after telling her he could help her career."

Members of the Tigers' athletic department staff also said that Miles told them that "female student workers who helped the football team lure top recruits needed to be attractive, blonde and fit" and anyone who didn't meet that criteria "should be given fewer hours or terminated."

Following the investigation, the school reprimanded Miles in writing and "required him to sign forms stating that he had read and understood the school's policies." He was also told to cease hiring student employees as babysitters and spending time alone with them. LSU informed him that if he continued his inappropriate behavior, it would be a contract violation and he'd be fired.

Jacoby, Armour and Luther reported last month about the investigation into Miles, noting it was done by an outside law firm, Husch Blackwell, hired by LSU as part of a broader look into the school's "handling of roughly 60 sexual misconduct cases from 2016 to 2018."

Miles denied that anything inappropriate happened, telling investigators "part of his job" was to mentor students. 

LSU fired Miles in 2016 after the team got off to a 2-2 start that season. The 67-year-old was hired by Kansas in November 2018.