Walter McCarty, ex-Evansville basketball coach, accused of sexual assault; denies 'totally fabricated story'
McCarty led Evansville to biggest win in school history but was fired two months later
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Walter McCarty, the former Evansville men’s basketball coach and NBA player, was accused of sexual assault in a federal lawsuit Monday.
The woman, only identified as Jane Doe, was described as a former Evansville athletic trainer, and she alleged in the suit she received inappropriate messages from McCarty on social media and text and felt pressured to visit him at his home, according to the Evansville Courier & Press.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to the suit, the woman says she visited McCarty’s home in December 2019 and she was grabbed, sexually assaulted and digitally penetrated by the coach at the time. She claimed she reported the incident to campus counselors and alleged she experienced retaliatory threats by McCarty.
"The female students and employees who experienced this pattern of harassment and sexual misconduct are real people, real women who simply wanted a safe environment to learn and work in, and our university failed us," Doe said in a news release. "I am heartbroken that my school knew about Coach McCarty’s misconduct before what happened to me, and looked the other way. I will continue to go through this difficult process of holding the university accountable, because I want to prevent other women from going through the same thing I did."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}McCarty was hired in March 2018 and fired amid allegations of sexual impropriety in January 2020. McCarty had been the subject of multiple complaints between June 2018 and December 2019, according to the newspaper.
McCarty denied the allegations.
"It’s untrue, and I can’t wait for the evidence to present itself that it’s a totally fabricated story," he told the newspaper. "I’ve never assaulted anyone in my 47 years on this earth. It’s disheartening that someone would make up a lie to gain financial rewards."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}McCarty was 20-25 for Evansville before he was let go. He was also briefly celebrated for leading the Purple Aces to the biggest win in school history on Nov. 12, 2019, when the team upset No. 1 Kentucky, 67-64.
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He played 10 seasons in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns.