In a shocking revelation, multiple women have accused Todd Golden, the men’s basketball coach at the University of Florida, of sexually harassing female students. The allegations, detailed in Title IX documents filed on September 27, include acts of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, and stalking of Florida students over the past year. This article delves into the details of the accusations, the university’s response, and the broader implications for the Florida Gators basketball program.
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The Allegations
Title IX Documents and Accusations
The Alligator, the University of Florida’s student newspaper, reported on Friday that Todd Golden has been accused of potential violations of the school’s Gender Equity Policy. The allegations include sending photos and videos of his genitalia while traveling for the university, using social media to make sexual advances and request sexual favors, and stalking women. The Title IX documents also allege that Golden took photos of women and sent the pictures to them, as well as making visits to places where he knew he could find those same women.
Corroborating Testimonies
The Alligator interviewed two women who corroborated the Title IX documents. These women described Golden’s behavior as manipulative and predatory. One woman stated that Golden had followed, then unfollowed, numerous women on social media to avoid suspicion. She also mentioned that Golden told many women they were “his drug” or “his good luck charm” before games.
“He just had this manipulation tactic over everyone,” the woman told The Alligator. “And he sent us all the same [messages]. It was copy-paste to every girl.”
University Response
Official Statements
A Florida spokesperson declined to comment to the student press, and the university hadn’t issued a statement as of early Friday afternoon. The university cited federal law, which prevents them from commenting on or confirming any Title IX inquiries, complaints, or investigations.
Investigation and Actions
The formal Title IX complaint against Golden includes allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, and stalking. The complaint alleges that over a year, Golden specifically aimed these behaviors toward University of Florida students. The claims regarding sexual harassment, which could also include sexual exploitation, cited sending photos and videos of his genitalia while traveling for UF, unwanted sexual advances on Instagram, requesting sexual favors, and various occasions of stalking.
Golden’s Background and Achievements
Coaching Career
Todd Golden, 39, was hired on March 18, 2022, as the 20th head coach in Gators history. He came from San Francisco, where he led the Dons to a 57-36 record over three seasons, including a pair of 20-win seasons and their first NCAA tournament bid in more than two decades. Prior to San Francisco, he worked under coach Bruce Pearl at Auburn.
Success at Florida
Last season, in his second campaign with the Gators, Golden led the team to 24 wins, a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament, and the SEC tournament championship game for the first time since 2014. The No. 21 Gators are currently 2-0 on the season and idle until Monday, when they will host Grambling State.
Detailed Accounts of the Allegations
Social Media Manipulation
The Alligator spoke with two separate women who attested to Golden’s behavior and requested to remain anonymous for safety reasons. They described how Golden would like Instagram posts of theirs dating back to 2023, sometimes even older. He would like multiple posts at once, supposedly in an attempt to get the women’s attention before going back and unliking them to avoid suspicion.
“He would go at such lengths about it,” the first woman said. “He would go back, like a year back, and like ten photos at once. Then, obviously, [he] followed up with a DM, always in vanish mode… Just really aggressive Instagram stalking is the best way to put it.”
Stalking and Unsolicited Photos
The first woman, a former UF student, said that Golden stalked her in person, both in his car and on foot, and that this occurred “more than 10 times.” On one occasion, she said she posted her location on her Instagram story, and Golden messaged her shortly after saying that he was in the area “waiting for [her].” She also said Golden sent unsolicited photos of his genitalia to her. On multiple occasions, the first woman said she received the photos while the team was traveling on the road.
“At first, it starts off slow, like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s odd. This guy is showing us attention,’” the first woman said. “And then it becomes, ‘Wow, he’s kind of crossing a line. No, he didn’t mean it that way.’ Then it’s, ‘Wait, he’s fully stepping over that line.’ And then it’s, ‘Wow, there’s a picture of his d*ck.’ It was a full grooming process with all of us.”
Complicity of Other Staff Members
Both the first woman and the second woman, also a former UF student, corroborated that Golden liked Instagram posts of theirs dating back to 2023, sometimes even older. Additionally, they said he liked multiple posts at once, supposedly in an attempt to get the women’s attention before going back and unliking them to avoid suspicion.
“He would go at such lengths about it,” the first woman said. “He would go back, like a year back, and like ten photos at once. Then, obviously, [he] followed up with a DM, always in vanish mode… Just really aggressive Instagram stalking is the best way to put it.”
Golden had been in contact with both women for over a year before unfollowing them after they were told UF began looking into his behavior this past August, they said. According to Snoopreport, a publicly accessible Instagram activity tracking software, Golden unfollowed 118 accounts on the platform between August 1 and September 1. At least 20, if not more, of these accounts appear to have been young women without connection to the Florida basketball program, or any other organizations that Golden had previously affiliated with. The women separately confirmed that Golden had blocked them rather than unfollowed.
Broader Implications
Culture of Sexual Harassment
The first woman said this misconduct goes beyond Golden. She believes there is a culture of sexual harassment within Florida’s coaching staff that has only grown since his arrival in Gainesville over two years ago, she said.
Both women also allege UF Special Assistant Ralphie Ferrari and UF Director of Basketball Strategy and Analytics Jonathan Safir were complicit in Golden’s misconduct and had knowledge of it. Neither of the men were mentioned in the Title IX complaint. Neither responded for comment.
Impact on the Basketball Program
Team Performance and Morale
The allegations against Todd Golden have the potential to significantly impact the Florida Gators basketball program. The team’s morale and performance could be affected as the investigation unfolds. The university’s response to these allegations will be crucial in determining the future of the program and the trust of the student body and the broader community.
Public Perception
The public perception of the University of Florida and its athletic programs could also be negatively impacted by these allegations. The university will need to take decisive action to address the concerns raised by the Title IX documents and the testimonies of the women involved.
Conclusion
The allegations against Todd Golden are serious and have the potential to significantly impact the Florida Gators basketball program and the broader university community. The university’s response to these allegations will be crucial in determining the future of the program and the trust of the student body and the broader community. As the investigation unfolds, it is essential for the university to take decisive action to address the concerns raised by the Title IX documents and the testimonies of the women involved.
