Former Kentucky swim coach Lars Jorgensen charged with rape and sexual assault

LEXINGTON – Two former members of the Kentucky swimming and diving team filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Friday.

The lawsuit, which names former coach Lars Jorgensen, former coach Gary Conelly, athletic director Mitch Barnhart and the university itself, alleges that a “toxic, sexually hostile atmosphere” existed in the swimming program during Jorgensen’s tenure. The lawsuit further alleges that the university allowed Jorgensen to “abuse, sexually harass and commit gruesome sexual assaults and brutal rapes upon young female coaches and college athletes who were dependent on him.”

The Athletic was the first newspaper to report on the allegations and the lawsuit in an article published Friday. The article detailed allegations of misconduct against Jorgensen, who was fired by UK last year after 10 seasons in the swimming and diving program.

This article originally appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal: Former Kentucky swim coach Lars Jorgensen accused in rape lawsuit