Ole Miss defensive lineman DeSanto Rollins is suing Lane Kiffin for alleged mistreatment regarding his mental health
In recent weeks, University of Mississippi football coach Lane Kiffin has been forced to answer a lawsuit brought on by lineman DeSanto Rollins, who alleges Kiffin ignored signs of his depression and even contributed to the player’s problems through his negligence.
Rollins is seeking $40 million in damages from Lane Kiffin and the school, claiming that he suffered from untreated mental issues that were exacerbated by how he was treated by the Rebels coach. The player claims that he was also the victim of “grossly reckless, and indifferent” treatment based on his race.
In response, the legal team representing Ole Miss and Kiffin responded with the following statement, however, saying that Rollins’ claim “has not alleged Kiffin treated him differently than other similarly situated individuals, much less that he did so with discriminatory intent because of Plaintiff’s race or sex.”
Rollins is still on scholarship with the program while the lawsuit is pending. In the meantime, the university filed a motion to dismiss the case in early November.
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The story heated up weeks ago when audio that Rollins secretly recorded of Lane Kiffin meeting with him was leaked. On it, the coach can be heard calling the player a “p**y” who is hiding behind “s**t”. He also temporarily kicked Rollins off the team, only to reverse that decision moments later.
Now, however, text messages have leaked that showed Kiffin and his coaching staff were not negligent. In fact? They paint a much more caring picture of the team’s leadership in how they handled Rollins’ situation. And in court documents filed on last week, Lane Kiffin and his representation claimed they offered DeSanto Rollins an opportunity to return to activities.
A memorandum filed by Rollins’ representation earlier this month alleges that he has not been invited to partake in team activities since that March 21 meeting with Lane Kiffin. Ole Miss maintains that it never dismissed Rollins from the program, pointing toward his continuing presence on the team roster and the fact that it is continuing to honor his scholarship.
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