A Different Playbook: Title IX and Sexual Assault in College Sports

In early September 2026, LSU student Kendall Francis posted a series of TikTok videos alleging she had been sexually assaulted by an LSU football player the prior year.1 On the same day LSU lost to Vanderbilt in 2025, Francis alleged she was sexually assaulted after meeting the football player in his on-campus dorm. Later that night, the accused player informed the police that he had a sexual encounter with Francis and that he was being accused of sexual assault.

After Francis filed a Title IX report in January 2026, the LSU Office of Civil Rights & Title IX found the player responsible for forcible rape.2 The panel initially imposed a two-semester suspension from campus. The player appealed, alleging he should have had an advisor earlier in the investigation and that his family offered Francis $1,000 in exchange for not pressing criminal charges. The administrative judge handling the appeal affirmed the finding of forcible rape but modified the punishment to four semesters of probation. The player’s status was changed to “disciplinary action, without restrictions.”

On September 21, 2026, Francis posted a follow-up video saying she would press criminal charges after learning the player was still permitted on campus. As social media coverage grew, questions arose about Title IX and LSU’s lack of law enforcement involvement following the complaint. Under Title IX, universities and institutions receiving federal funding are required to address allegations of sex-based discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence in their educational programs and activities.3 After a university receives a formal Title IX complaint, the institution opens an official investigation that includes notifying the respondent and gathering evidence.4 The investigation involves gathering statements from the involved parties and witnesses and finalizing an investigation report.5 Parties may choose to resolve the issue through alternative resolution or a hearing administered by the institution.6 If the institution holds a hearing, it usually resolves the matter within 10 days through a board or committee. Title IX committees will make a finding that the respondent is “Not responsible” or “Responsible.”7A respondent with a “Finding of Responsibility” likely faces sanctions determined by a separate individual or panel.8

Pursuant to LSU’s policies, the player’s current sanction status allows him to continue attending classes on campus, participating in student organization leadership, intramurals, studying abroad, and other specified co-curricular activities.9 Typically, a “Finding of Responsibility” may only list the classification of a student’s sanction on their transcript which expires upon the end of the sanction period. This differs significantly from Louisiana criminal law, which can punish forcible rape with up to forty years in prison. This difference reflects the distinct purposes of Title IX and the criminal justice system: federal compliance and the consequences of criminal activity.

Title IX’s purpose is to ensure universities follow proper procedures and allow students the opportunity to report sexual misconduct facilitated through its programs. Title IX aims to ensure equal access, whereas criminal law focuses on addressing criminal acts and prescribing potential punishment for offenders. Here, it remains unclear whether Francis accepted payment from the player for not pressing criminal charges. However, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillary Moore reports that his office has opened a criminal investigation into the incident. The investigation is ongoing, but further questions remain about whether institutions should have a duty to report Findings of Responsibility to law enforcement, especially when their policies may allow a student to continue illegal conduct.

Resources

¹ Laura Allen, Garrett McEntee, A criminal investigation has opened into LSU football player who raped student on campus, Reveille (Sept. 26, 2026), https://lsureveille.com/288753/news/criminal-investigation-lsu-football-player-rape-title-ix/.  

² Perry Robinson, EXCLUSIVE: LSU student says university failed her after Title IX finding against football player in sexual assault case, WAFB9 (Sept. 23, 2026) https://www.wafb.com/2026/09/24/exclusive-lsu-student-says-university-failed-her-after-title-ix-finding-alleged-sexual-assault/. 

³ 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a).  

⁴ A Step-by-Step Guide for Survivors; The Title IX Process, Equal Rights Advocates, https://www.equalrights.org/issue/the-title-ix-process/ (last visited Oct. 14, 2026). 

⁵ Id. 

⁶ Id. 

⁷ Id. 

⁹ L.a. State Univ., Code of Student Conduct, https://www.lsu.edu/saa/code-of-conduct.php (last visited Oct. 14, 2026).