Where former athletics executive Sharon Lewis' lawsuit against LSU stands heading into third year

BATON ROUGE - As 2022 turns into 2023, former LSU athletics employee Sharon Lewis' lawsuit against the university has continued to evolve.

Lewis' lawsuit, which was filed in April 2021, accuses former football coach Les Miles, several athletics administrators, LSU's board of supervisors and athletics committee of fostering a hostile work environment, gender discrimination and that her pay suffered as a result of reporting Title IX violations.

Lewis was the Assistant Athletic Director of Football Recruiting and Alumni Relations at LSU before her contract was terminated in January 2022. She joined the football program as a recruiting coordinator in 2002.

Here's what to know about Lewis' case heading into the new year.

New document alleges Les Miles sexually harassed, groomed a former female employee

A former female LSU football employee accused Miles of sexual grooming and harassment and as a result requested $2.15 million from Miles and the university in 2013, according to documents obtained by The Advertiser.

The documents accuse Miles of flirting, stalking on social media and forcibly kissing the former staffer while touching the bare skin underneath her skirt. Miles allegedly recruited the former employee to work for him and in the interview process was "asked questions that an older more savvy and mature woman would have understood as harassing and inappropriate," according to the documents.

The documents have been submitted to state and federal court proceedings in relation to former LSU employee Lewis' lawsuit against the university.

An LSU spokesperson declined to comment on the documents. Miles' attorney Peter Ginsburg could not be reached for comment.

Miles won a national championship at LSU in 2007 and guided the Tigers to the title game in 2011. He was fired in 2016 after LSU struggled at the beginning of the season with a 2-2 record.

Eight of Lewis' claims have been recently dismissed by a Baton Rouge judge

Eight of the 14 claims Lewis made against LSU were dismissed by a Baton Rouge judge last month, according to a spokesperson for Lewis' attorneys. Lewis' attorneys were also sanctioned over $330,000 by 19th Judicial District Court Judge Tim Kelley for being "unlawfully accused of making up her claims."

But since last May, Lewis' attorneys have attempted to recuse Kelley from the case because of his long-standing friendship with Michael Walsh, an attorney at Taylor Porter's law firm who represented Kelley in his divorce. Porter's firm was also a defendant in Lewis' lawsuit but has since been dismissed from the case with prejudice.

Kelley was also granted a $422,500 personal injury judgment through Darrel Papillion in 2014. Papillion represented Porter's firm in Lewis' lawsuit.

Kelley, however, retired on Dec. 31, according to a spokesperson for Lewis' attorneys. The court has not appointed an ad hoc judge in the meantime, according to the spokesperson.

Koki Riley covers LSU sports for The Daily Advertiser and the USA TODAY Sports South Region. Email him at kriley@theadvertiser.com and follow him on Twitter at @KokiRiley.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Sharon Lewis lawsuit against LSU athletics heads into third year