College Basketball
Florida Basketball Coach Todd Golden Faced Sexual Harassment Investigation Before Winning 2025 National Championship
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Get to know David Evans betterPublished08 Apr 2025
The Florida Gators just won the men’s basketball national championship. It’s their third title, and their first since 2007. But the celebration doesn’t come without baggage. The win caps a season led by head coach Todd Golden, who has been under scrutiny since multiple women accused him of sexual harassment and stalking in late 2024.
A four-month Title IX investigation by the University of Florida cleared him in January 2025, but the nature of that dismissal deserves a closer look.
What Were The Accusations Against Todd Golden?
Golden was accused of:
- Sending unsolicited explicit messages and videos on Instagram
- Making repeated sexual advances toward women affiliated with the university
- Taking and sending non-consensual photos
- Appearing in person at locations where his accusers were
The complaint, filed in September 2024, claimed that Golden’s behavior spanned about a year and targeted multiple women. It triggered a Title IX investigation, which concluded with no findings of misconduct.
Why Was Golden’s Sexual Harassment Complaint Dropped?
Florida didn’t dispute whether the behavior occurred. The deciding factor was that the alleged conduct didn’t happen within a “university program or activity.” That’s a procedural loophole in Title IX—it doesn’t apply to off-campus, unofficial, or online conduct if it’s not clearly tied to university operations.
In other words, the accusations may have been credible, but they weren’t “actionable” under Title IX policy.
Confidentiality Issues and Institutional Messaging
Golden criticized the investigation for violating confidentiality, pointing to leaks during the process. The university never publicly addressed how private information was handled.
Meanwhile, student government attempted to introduce a bill criticizing Golden and pushing for policy changes. That bill was killed by student senators aligned with UF’s ruling political bloc, Vision Party. It sent a message: the institution didn’t want to keep this story alive.
One Coach Cleared, Another Still Under Investigation
While Golden was cleared, assistant coach Taurean Green is still under investigation in a separate Title IX case. That hasn’t received the same level of media attention—yet.
What This Says About the Program
Florida’s program is now being praised nationally. They beat Houston in a tight 65–63 game to win the title. But the timing of this success comes with a cost. Questions remain:
- Did UF apply a technicality to shield a winning coach?
- Is the university setting a precedent where off-campus misconduct gets a pass?
Winning changes narratives. But in Florida’s case, it might be papering over something the school would rather you stop talking about.
