Ousted KSU Softball Coach: I Am Not a Sexual Harasser

KENNESAW, GA — Tory Acheson, who was fired last week as head coach of Kennesaw State University's softball team for allegedly violating the school's sexual misconduct policy, said on Monday that he has never had "inappropriate contact of any nature with any of my players."

"I am by far not a perfect coach, but I know this: I am not a sexual harasser," Acheson said in a statement that was published by the AJC. "But I have been labeled as such, and now will spend the rest of my life trying to overcome the stigma of this story."

The university, according to 11 Alive, began investigating Acheson in June after anonymous letters were sent to school administrators, reports the station. Six current softball players, two former players, and two assistant coaches were interviewed. In the letters, Acheson was accused of belittling members of the team and threatening to take their money and stipends away because of their under performance.

In one letter, Acheson was accused of making sexual comments toward the players by insinuating the girls were "servicing" the university's baseball players, "threatening to remove players scholarships for their lack of performance, uncontrollable berating of the coaching staff and players as well as physically touching players in inappropriate manners," the letter, obtained by 11 Alive, states.

"The headlines of this story have portrayed me in the worst possible light," Acheson said in his statement, "that I committed sexual misconduct, taking as truth the baseless complaints of an anonymous letter writer. I have a sense of who this author is and while I will not reveal names that might subject them to this white-hot media scrutiny, I will say it is sad that someone can inflict so much damage with no accountability."

Read Acheson's entire statement here.

Read 11Alive's entire report here.

Image: KSUOwls.com