Butler University women's soccer players file lawsuit alleging sexual assault by former school trainer

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Three Butler University women’s soccer players filed lawsuits Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, alleging former athletic trainer Michael Howell sexually abused them and that they were not the only ones he victimized. 

The separate lawsuits detailed how Howell allegedly shared pornographic video clips and, for one of the players, threatened to reveal a picture he had with potentially damaging information to silence her. 

Howell would also allegedly use hotel massages and special training sessions outside his daily work schedule "to build trust, isolate, and weaponized the young women’s desires to be the best athletes they could be," according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuits also claimed that Howell’s actions stemmed far beyond just their own experiences at the university. 

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General view prior to the start of a college basketball game between the Marquette Golden Eagles and Butler Bulldogs on Feb. 12, 2022 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"Howell’s sexual assaults were so frequent, over such a long period of time, and to so many women that the athletes coined the term ‘the breeze’ to describe it when Howell would lift their bras, spandex, and underwear and air would rush over their breasts and vaginal areas," the lawsuit read, per IndyStar.

Each lawsuit not only names Butler University, but also the school’s senior associate athletic director for student-athlete health, performance and well-being, Ralph Reiff, as co-defendant. Both are accused of not properly overseeing Howell’s duties while failing to have appropriate conduct policies for trainers. 

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Monice H. Beck, an attorney with the law firm representing the three soccer players, said the firm knows of "at least six women who have come forward" regarding abuse by Howell, per IndyStar. 

"One of the reasons our clients filed this lawsuit is so that other survivors will know they are not alone," Beck said. "In this day and age, knowing the abuse Larry Nassar perpetrated under the guise of providing medical treatment, it is inexcusable that this has happened on Butler’s watch."

"The health, safety, and well-being of our campus community is always our top priority," a Butler University spokesperson told IndyStar. 

A general view of the Butler Bulldogs shorts logo during the second half of the college basketball game between the Seton Hall Pirates and the Butler Bulldogs on Feb. 23, 2022 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"In late September 2021, student-athletes on the women’s soccer team reported misconduct by Michael Howell, an assistant athletic trainer. Upon being informed of the allegations, the University promptly notified law enforcement, removed Howell from campus and suspended him from his job duties, pending further investigation."

Butler opened an investigation into the matter and found that Howell did violate the school’s policies, leading to his termination from his job in the summer of 2022. 

Howell was in place at Butler from 2012 until he was placed on leave while the university investigated the claims against him in October 2021. 

A general view of the Butler Bulldogs logo on the front of a Nike shooting shirt prior to  the college basketball game between the Seton Hall Pirates and the Butler Bulldogs on Jan. 2, 2021 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Other than the women’s soccer team, Howell worked with the men’s and women’s golf, baseball, men’s tennis and cheerleading teams.