Michigan to pay $1.2 million settlement in case involving ex-football staffer LaTroy Lewis

The University of Michigan has reached a $1.2 million settlement with a woman who accused a former Wolverines football staffer of sexual assault. According to Austin Meek of The Athletic, who obtained a copy of the settlement agreement Tuesday, the university finalized the settlement last month with a woman who alleged that former graduate assistant LaTroy Lewis sexually assaulted her in 2024. Lewis was working as a graduate assistant at Michigan at the time of the alleged incident. He later joined the Atlanta Falcons as an assistant defensive line coach, but was fired in February after the allegations became public. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage Per Meek, Michigan agreed to pay the woman $848,000, while the remaining $352,000 will go to her attorney. The university did not admit liability as part of the agreement, and both sides agreed to keep the details confidential. The settlement was first reported by the Detroit Free Press late last week. The Ann Arbor Police Department previously opened an investigation into the allegations and named Lewis as a suspect after the woman reported the alleged assault in February, according to a police report obtained by The Athletic. The report states police later made multiple attempts to schedule a follow-up interview with the woman but were unsuccessful. The case was eventually “closed due to inactivity,” according to Meek, although the report noted it could be “re-opened at any time.” In response, Lewis has denied the allegations. Attorney Fabiola A. Galguera previously said Lewis “intends to fiercely fight these false allegations.” Neither Michigan nor an attorney representing Lewis returned The Athletic’s requests for comment regarding the settlement. According to the police report cited by Meek, the woman told authorities she initially connected with Lewis through the dating app Bumble and later met him at an Ann Arbor hotel in December 2024. While portions of the report were redacted, it states the “suspect overpowered the victim, held her down, and assaulted her,” allegedly resulting in bruising and bleeding. The woman also told police she had begun an online relationship with Lewis in July 2024 and that he allegedly started threatening her months before their first in-person meeting. According to the report, an officer observed a message in which Lewis allegedly “threatened to beat her up and kill her.” Meek also reported the woman told police that Lewis called her 16 times after she reported the alleged assault. The accusations surfaced publicly amid a broader investigation into Michigan’s athletic department conducted by the law firm Jenner & Block following the firing of former football coach Sherrone Moore. The woman contacted Jenner & Block in December 2025, shortly after Michigan dismissed Moore following the revelation of a relationship with his executive assistant. The Jenner & Block investigation later identified weaknesses within Michigan’s reporting and accountability processes, although a public summary released by the university in July said investigators found no evidence of “widespread misconduct” inside the athletic department. Michigan announced several changes in response to the findings, including efforts to strengthen its compliance and human resources operations along with procedures for reporting and investigating allegations of misconduct. The fallout has extended to the athletic department’s leadership. Michigan previously negotiated a $7.1 million separation agreement with athletic director Warde Manuel, who is scheduled to leave his position at the end of the year. Meanwhile, Lewis had been steadily climbing the coaching ranks before the allegations became public. He joined Michigan in 2022 and remained with the Wolverines through the 2024 season. Lewis later became Toledo’s defensive line coach in 2025 before briefly following Jason Candle to UConn and ultimately landing with the Falcons. Atlanta dismissed Lewis in February shortly after becoming aware of the accusations. Now, months after the allegations became public, Michigan has reached a financial settlement with the woman while the university continues implementing changes stemming from the broader review of its athletic department. — On3’s Alex Byington contributed to this article.