Gators basketball coach Todd Golden was reportedly accused of sexual harassment and stalking in a Title IX complaint filed earlier this autumn to the University of Florida, according to The Alligator, a student publication at Florida.
The article, which published Friday afternoon, contains plenty of detail from the Title IX complaint, as well as interviews conducted with two women who affirmed the allegations in that document and offered greater detail.
Golden is accused of making “unwanted sexual advances toward numerous women on social media,” per the report.
The head coach released the following statement via X, formerly known as Twitter on Saturday evening:
UF reportedly received the Title IX complaint September 27, per The Alligator. That complaint reportedly accused Golden of “allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking. The complaint alleges that over a year, Golden specifically aimed these behaviors toward UF students.”
Six weeks have passed since the report was filed, but Golden coached the team in its first two games of the 2024-25 season, victories over USF and Jacksonville.
Here’s what to know about the allegations surrounding Todd Golden.
What are the allegations against Todd Golden?
According to the Alligator, the Title IX document includes allegations Golden made unwanted sexual advances on the social media site Instagram. That included “requesting sexual favors” and “sending photos and videos of his genitalia”.
It’s also been alleged that he stalked women by taking pictures of them while they walked or drove and then sent the photos to them. He’s also accused of stalking after reportedly showing up at places where he knew those women would be located.
It also was alleged Golden attempted to cover his behavior, first by “liking” Instagram posts of women, then withdrawing those endorsements after they’d read his direct messages.
The student journalists spoke with two women who offered greater detail about Golden’s alleged behavior, although it was not made clear whether they were part of the Title IX complaint.
One former UF student said she was stalked by Golden “more than 10 times” and that he sent unsolicited photos of his genitals on days the team’s schedule indicated the men’s basketball team was traveling for road games.
“At first, it starts off slow, like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s odd. This guy is showing us attention,’” she told the Alligator. “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—.’ It was a full grooming process with all of us.”
