The Atlanta Falcons announced that the team had released a defensive assistant coach — just hours after telling an outlet that it was still “in the process of gathering information” on some disturbing allegations levied against him.
“The Atlanta Falcons have dismissed assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis from his role,” the organization said in a terse, single-sentence statement on Friday.
According to ESPN, police in Ann Arbor, Michigan, confirmed that officers are investigating sexual assault allegations against Lewis, after having been “just recently made aware” of them.
Lewis, 32, allegedly met the woman on a dating app in July 2024. At the time, he was an assistant defensive line coach at the University of Michigan at the time, under now-disgraced former head coach Sherrone Moore.
(Moore was fired from the prestigious coaching post after it was revealed he had had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, and then got into even more trouble.)
It reportedly didn’t take long before Lewis’ behavior “became increasingly aggressive” over text messages and phone conversations. Despite this, the two would eventually meet in person for the first time in December 2024, at an Ann Arbor hotel, reportedly for Lewis to return some belongings the woman had given him.
(ESPN’s report did not explain how the woman had given Lewis anything before they actually met in person.)
It was during that meeting that Lewis allegedly raped and battered the woman, according to ESPN.
The woman’s legal team claims that the woman then went to Moore, whom she apparently knew personally, about what had happened. Instead of punishing or reporting Lewis, however, the woman’s attorney claims Moore allegedly “weaponized” this information against the woman. Part of that “weaponized” harassment includes lewd text messages.
According to ESPN, Lewis and the woman met at least one other time when police in Milford, Michigan, were called to the woman’s home after neighbors reported loud voices. Lewis and the woman told officers they had been arguing, ESPN reported.
The woman’s attorney said Lewis had physically assaulted her client during that meeting, too, but the woman had been afraid to tell police.
The woman’s attorney told ESPN that her client applied for a protective order against Lewis early last week.
Both Moore and Lewis have vehemently denied the woman’s allegations.
“Sherrone Moore did not fail to report misconduct, did not reward wrongdoing and did not harass anyone,” Moore’s attorney said. “These claims are false.”
Lewis’ attorney, meanwhile, said that his client “intends to fiercely fight these false allegations with the support of his wife, family, and my team.”
A spokesman for the University of Michigan also commented on the matter, calling the allegations “deeply concerning.”
The Falcons, meanwhile, acted swiftly in firing Lewis. In fact, it may have been a mere matter of hours.
An earlier Friday report from NBC Sports stated that the Falcons had put out a statement regarding the woman’s story.
“We are aware of allegations regarding LaTroy Lewis,” the Falcons said via statement. “We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.”
Lewis’ firing was announced just hours after that statement.
Whatever information it is that Atlanta gathered, the team clearly felt there was enough there to sever all ties with Lewis.
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