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PFW women’s volleyball assistant coach accused of harassment, assault

Photo Supplied/Purdue Fort Wayne

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): A Purdue Fort Wayne women’s volleyball assistant coach has been accused of harassment and assault while head coach at her former job.

Alexis Meeks-Rydell is being sued by Rachael DeMarcus and Alexis Silver for “a pattern and practice of blatant sexual harassment and sexual and other physical and emotional assault” while Meeks-Rydell was the head women’s volleyball coach at the University of South Alabama. This allegedly took place from Jan. 1, 2019 through the 2019-2020 school year.

The lawsuit goes on to accuse Meeks-Rydell of inappropriate touching including pinching players’ buttocks, overtraining and making players to practice or play while injured. It also claims that Meeks-Rydell ridiculed players who were injured, accusing them of faking it and making them play through concussions, sprains and other ailments.

The players claim the abuse and harassment was so severe that it forced them to end their athletic and academic careers at the university.

DeMarcus and Silver are seeking damages “in an amount that will fully compensate Plaintiffs for all they suffered and continue to suffer.”

According to the lawsuit, Meeks-Rydell resigned as the head coach at South Alabama in February of this year. The Leo native was hired as an assistant coach for Purdue Fort Wayne on June 1.

You can view the full lawsuit here.

Purdue Fort Wayne Athletic Director Kelley Hartley Hutton released the following statement: “Upon learning of the lawsuit and allegations against Alexis Meeks-Rydell during her time at the University of South Alabama, she was immediately placed on administrative leave pending university review of the matter. This will be the extent of our comment at this time.”

 

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1 comment

D September 8, 2021 at 1:22 pm

If the coach was a man this would read “PFW women’s volleyball assistant coach accused of Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault. Stop with the double standards!

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