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    Ex-LSU AD Recommended Les Miles Be Fired over 2013 Harassment Allegations

    Adam Wells@adamwells1985Featured ColumnistMarch 5, 2021

    FILE - This Sept. 17, 2016 file photo shows LSU head coach Les Miles watching from the sideline in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Baton Rouge, La. Miles spent national signing day doing television on ESPNU, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, as his son, Ben Miles, officially became a college football player. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, file)
    Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

    Former LSU athletic director Joe Alleva recommended Les Miles be fired as head coach in 2013 amid sexual harassment allegations.

    The recommendation was included in the results of LSU's internal investigation into multiple allegations made against Miles during his time as Tigers head coach, per The Athletic's Brody Miller:

    Brody Miller @BrodyAMiller

    New information. Former #LSU athletic director Joe Alleva recommended in 2013 to fire Les Miles with cause and said the public opinion would be in LSU's favor. https://t.co/x1C6TzOX6a

    The Athletic's Stewart Mandel reported that Alleva also wanted to fire Miles after the 2015 season, but was overruled by the school president:

    Stewart Mandel @slmandel

    If you recall, Alleva wanted to fire Miles toward the end of the 2015 season, which caught most of us by surprise (they were undefeated into November that year), but got overruled by the president. Again. This all makes more sense now.

    Kenny Jacoby, Nancy Armour and Jessica Luther of USA Today also obtained a copy of the internal investigation, which stated that Miles was warned in 2013 to stop having contact with female students or he would be fired. 

    Miles was accused of "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."

    The investigation determined Miles didn't have sexual relationships with any of the women, but his behavior was deemed to be "inappropriate."

    Athletic department staff also said Miles had said the female students hired to help convince top football recruits to choose the school should be "attractive, blonde and fit" and anyone not up to his standards should be "given fewer hours or terminated," per Jacoby, Armour and Luther.

    Ex-LSU AD Recommended Les Miles Be Fired over 2013 Harassment Allegations
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    Miles was reprimanded by the school and required to sign documents stating that he "read and understood" university policies. 

    Alleva resigned as LSU's athletic director in April 2019 and moved into the role of special assistant to the president for donor relations.

    Miles was fired as LSU's head coach four games into the 2016 season after the Tigers started 2-2. He took over the program in January 2005 after Nick Saban accepted the head-coaching job for the Miami Dolphins.

    Kansas hired Miles as its head football coach in November 2018.