Florida State men’s basketball head coach Todd Golden has been accused by an unspecified number of women of sexual harassment and stalking, according to Title IX documents obtained by The Alligator.
The University of Florida received a formal Title IX complaint on September 27, accusing Golden of engaging in various acts that may violate the university’s gender equity policies.
To comply with federal law, the university cannot comment on or confirm Title IX inquiries, complaints or investigations, a university spokesperson said.
The official Title IX complaint against Golden, obtained by Alligator, includes allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking. According to the complaint, Golden targeted these acts specifically toward students at the university over a period of more than a year.
Acts of sexual harassment can also include sexual exploitation, with claims including sending photos and videos of genitals during college trips, unwanted sexual advances on Instagram, requests for sexual favors, and various other forms of sexual harassment. Examples include stalking.
On more than one occasion, Golden allegedly took photos of women walking or driving and sent the photos to interested parties. The various stalking incidents involved Golden showing up at places he knew women would be.
On multiple occasions, Golden would “like” women on Instagram, wait until they read their DMs, and then “unlike” their photos to avoid suspicion.
A response from the UW men’s basketball coaching staff was not received in time for publication.
The Alligator spoke with two separate women who testified to Golden’s actions and requested anonymity for safety reasons. Both women said UF has taken few steps since the investigation began.
The first woman, a former student at the university, said Golden stalked her in person, both in his car and on foot, on “more than 10 occasions.” At one point, she posted her location on her Instagram Story, and Golden immediately messaged her saying he was “waiting for her” in the area.
She also said Golden sent her unsolicited photos of his genitals. The first woman said multiple times that the team received photos during the expedition. She said the nature of Golden’s alleged stalking became more aggressive over time.
“It starts slowly at first and you’re like, ‘Wow,’ and it’s weird. This guy is paying attention to us,” the first woman said. “And then you’re like, ‘Wow, I think he’s overstepped the line.’ No, he didn’t mean that. And then you’re like, ‘Wait, he’s totally overstepped that line.’ becomes. And then you’re like, “Wow, there’s a picture of his dick.” It was a thorough grooming process for all of us. ”
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The first and second women, both former students at the university, corroborated that Golden had liked their Instagram posts from 2023 and sometimes even earlier. He also said he “liked” multiple posts at once, apparently to get the woman’s attention before going back and clicking “like” to avoid charges.
“He’s going to have a really hard time about that,” the first woman said. “He was going back a year and taking 10 pictures at a time. Then obviously, (he) followed up with DMs and was in vanish mode all the time… just very aggressive. Instagram stalking is the best way to describe it.”
Golden was told in August that UF began investigating his behavior, and Golden said he kept in touch with both women for more than a year before unfollowing them.
According to Snoopreport, a publicly accessible Instagram activity tracking software, Golden unfollowed 118 accounts on the platform between August 1 and September 1. At least 20 of these accounts, and many more, appear to be from young women with no connection to Florida. basketball program, or any other organization Golden was previously a part of. The women independently confirmed that Golden had blocked them, not unfollowed them.
The second woman said Golden told numerous women before the game that they were “his medicine” and “good luck charms.”
“He just used these manipulative tactics against everyone,” she said. “And he sent us the exact same thing, which was copied and pasted to all the girls.”
Both women also allege that UF special assistant Ralphie Ferrari and UF director of basketball strategy and analysis Jonathan Safir were complicit in and aware of Golden’s misconduct. Neither man is mentioned in the Title IX complaint. Neither responded to requests for comment.
The first woman said the cheating went beyond Golden. She said she believes there is a culture of sexual harassment within Florida’s coaching staff that has intensified in the more than two years since he came to Gainesville.
“I think it’s just a sick joke that all the coaches are playing within that organization,” she said. “They’ll probably solve the problem by showing each other pictures… There’s something fucking sick going on.”
Contact Jack Meyer and Max Tucker at jmeyer@alligator.org and mtucker@alligator.org. X Follow me at @jackmeyerUF and @Max_Tuckr1.
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jack meyer
Jack Meyer is a fourth-year journalism major and assistant sports editor at The Alligator. In my free time, I enjoy reviewing music, spending time with friends, playing video games, and going to the gym.
max tucker
Max Tucker is a transfer student in his third year of college. After earning her AA in Journalism from the College of Santa Fe in 2023, she chose to pursue further education at the Florida College of Journalism and Communication. Max is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, specializing in Sports and Media. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and going to the beach with friends.
