A Baltimore judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Coppin State that involved ex-basketball coach Juan Dixon regarding allegations by a former player who claimed someone tied to the program sexually assaulted and blackmailed him while he was part of the team.
The ruling, by a Baltimore Circuit last week, indicated that the complaint against the university would be amended.
The case involved 23-year-old Ibn Williams, who filed a lawsuit in 2022 that a teammate, Lucian Brownlee, blackmailed and sexually assaulted him, the Baltimore Banner reported.
The website reported that Williams, in the lawsuit, claimed he was deceived by someone purporting to be a woman to send what were described as images of a “sexual nature” under the impression that they were private and only in the context of a relationship.
The lawsuit claims that Williams learned that the person was Brownlee, who then worked as a men’s basketball coach and had shown members of the team and the public those images.
Williams claimed that he was threatened if he did not adhere to other demands by Brownlee that the private material he submitted would be disclosed. He then suggested Williams engage in sexual encounters with Brownlee, the website said.
Williams was allegedly later told by Dixon that Brownlee suffered from a mental illness and struggled emotionally and stated athletics director Derek Carter knew about it, the Baltimore Banner reported.
Coppin State, the lawsuit asserts, questioned Williams about his past sexual experiences and orientation after he asked the school to conduct a review of the claims of harassment, sexual assault, and blackmail.
Williams, who is now at Morehouse College, was questioned by the school about his sexual orientation and previous sexual experiences when he asked the university to conduct an investigation into Brownlee’s behavior.
The website reported that the judge dismissed the counts against Carter, the University System of Maryland, and the State of Maryland.
In six seasons at Coppin State, Dixon, who led Maryland to a national championship in 2002 as a player, put together a 51-131 record. He was fired in March.
This past season, CSU went 9-23 overall and 4-10 in the MEAC. Dixon’s best season at Coppin State was during the 2019-20 season when he led the Eagles to 11 wins. The program earned a share of the MEAC North Division title in 2021
