High-ranking LSU executive expected to file lawsuit against university

BATON ROUGE - Sharon Lewis, an LSU Football associate athletics director, is reportedly filing a lawsuit against top LSU brass and Baton Rouge-based law firm, Taylor Porter, USA Today reports, related to the university's handling over sexual assault and harassment complaints.

Taylor Porter handled a 2013 investigation into complaints against Les Miles.  Lewis told USA Today the law firm worked alongside LSU's board members to cover up Title IX complaints. 

The WBRZ Investigative Unit previously reported, Taylor Porter billed nearly $100,000 for the 2013 investigation.  It was managed by attorney Vicki Crochet, who was also in charge of another, controversial complaint about workplace harassment at another government institution: One at the state attorney general's office.

USA Today spoke with Lewis and her attorneys in an exclusive interview published early Tuesday.

Lewis told the newspaper, she experienced years of mistreatment related to issues already under the microscope in the wake of the Title IX investigation.

State lawmakers have been probing the bombshell report by a separate law firm, Husch Blackwell, which was released last month and showed LSU mishandled and covered up complaints, especially against star athletes.

USA Today reported "attorneys for Lewis said they plan to file a federal Title IX lawsuit, a state whistleblower lawsuit, an Equal Employment Opportunity grievance and a civil lawsuit under the federal RICO statute, which is used to dismantle organized crime rings."

Also included in the lawsuit will be Verge Ausberry and Miriam Segar, the only two current LSU employees who were disciplined by the university related to the Title IX report.