Current:Home > reviewsOle Miss, Kiffin seek dismissal of lawsuit filed by Rebels football player -Visionary Wealth Guides
Ole Miss, Kiffin seek dismissal of lawsuit filed by Rebels football player
Poinbank View
Date:2025-04-11 07:02:13
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi football coach Lane Kiffin and the school have filed a motion seeking dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a Rebels player alleging racial and sexual discrimination and negligence.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Oxford contends that DeSanto Rollins, a defensive tackle from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was kicked off the team during a mental health crisis. The school maintained in Wednesday’s filing seeking dismissal that Rollins remains on the team and on scholarship.
He is still listed on the roster but has not played this season for the 10th-ranked Rebels, who visit No. 1 Georgia on Saturday.
Rollins, who is Black, is seeking $10 million in compensatory damages and $30 million in punitive damages. He claims he was not supported through his depression the way white and female athletes have been at Ole Miss.
Rollins’ playing career has been hampered by injuries, including a concussion and Achilles tendon injury in the spring and summer of 2022, that left him severely depressed, the lawsuit said.
Attorneys for the school and Kiffin contend that the coach “is not liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress.” They also challenged the validity of Rollins’ claims regarding equal protection, discrimination and negligence and said the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi “should decline supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiff’s state law claims.”
Carroll Rhodes, an attorney representing Rollins, said Thursday that “what they filed was not accurate.”
“We’ll be filing a response in due course,” said Rhodes, who is based in Hazlehurst, Mississippi.
Kiffin and Ole Miss are represented by attorneys from Mayo Mallette in Oxford and Foreman Watkins & Krutz based out of Jackson, Mississippi.
The lawsuit says Rollins recorded a meeting with Kiffin on March 21 when the coach said, “Go, you’re off the team. You’re done. See ya.”
While Rollins is still listed on the roster, both he and defensive end Isaac Ukwu, a transfer from James Madison who has played in every game, are listed as No. 99.
“Lane Kiffin had a malevolently ingenious way of kicking DeSanto Rollins off the team when he thought no one was listening,” Rhodes said.
The Associated Press has reached out to attorneys for Kiffin and Ole Miss seeking comment.
___ Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
veryGood! (253)
Related
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Army intelligence analyst charged with selling military secrets to contact in China for $42,000
- Memphis judge postpones state trial in Tyre Nichols death until end of federal trial
- Bye, department stores. Hello, AI. Is what's happening to Macy's and Nvidia a sign of the times?
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Women’s mini-tour in Florida changes to female-at-birth policy
- WATCH: Free-agent QB Baker Mayfield takes batting practice with Yankees
- CBS News poll finds most Americans see state of the union as divided, but their economic outlook has been improving
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Oregon passes campaign finance reform that limits contributions to political candidates
Ranking
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- 'Cabrini' film tells origin of first US citizen saint: What to know about Mother Cabrini
- The 5 Charlotte Tilbury Products Every Woman Should Own for the Maximum Glow Up With Minimal Effort
- Union reaches tentative contract at 38 Kroger stores in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Special counsel urges judge to reject Trump's efforts to dismiss documents case
- Biden visiting battleground states and expanding staff as his campaign tries to seize the offensive
- AP Week in Pictures: Global
Recommendation
Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
'Cabrini' film tells origin of first US citizen saint: What to know about Mother Cabrini
Two former Texas deputies have been acquitted in the death of a motorist following a police chase
AP Week in Pictures: Global
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
As Inslee’s final legislative session ends, more work remains to cement climate legacy
Woman injured while saving dog from black bear attack at Pennsylvania home
AP Week in Pictures: North America