UMass Says No Evidence To Support Allegations Against Men's Basketball Staff

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — The University of Massachusetts is responding to a lawsuit filed by a woman who alleges she was held against her will by members of the men's basketball staff.

UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford said in a statement Tuesday that when the university became aware of the complaint in December, it hired an independent investigator who found no evidence to support the allegations in the suit.

Ayanna Hickman's civil rights suit alleges Lou Roe, her ex-boyfriend and the program's director of basketball operations, and two others detained her against her will in a university office in 2013. The suit, which seeks $75,000, says Hickman knew details about player use of banned substances.

The suit says former head coach Derek Kellogg, while not present, engaged in a cover-up of the incident.