Boise State placed assistant women's basketball coach Cody Butler on administrative leave Tuesday after the Idaho Statesman asked about the school's knowledge of a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse and harassment of a player while he was coaching at Yakima Valley College.
In a statement to the Statesman, the school said Butler's leave is pending the school's review of the matter.
The Statesman reports the lawsuit was filed last May in Olympia, Washington, naming Butler, Yakima Valley College and the state of Washington as defendants.
Before joining the Boise State staff in 2012, Butler began working at Yakima Valley in 2000 and was the coach of the women's team from 2003 to 2012. The suit was filed by a player who was on the women's team from 2001 to 2003. Butler was an assistant on the men's and women's teams from 2000 to 2002 and was co-head coach of the women's team in 2002-03.
According to the Statesman, the allegations include that Butler made inappropriate physical contact with the plaintiff during one-on-one coaching sessions and office meetings.
The defendants have denied all allegations in their answer to the complaint and a trial date is set for 2021, the Statesman reports.