New reports reveal that in 2015 four female members of a federal intelligence agency charged former college basketball coach Bob Knight with groping them, sparking an investigation by the FBI.
The accusations were made after the Hall of Fame coach spoke to employees of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in July of 2015. Four women accused the coach of groping them in encounters both before and after the speech, according to a report at the Washington Post.
The report represents the first time the accusations were made public, sources say. The accusations initiated a criminal investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Army, and the Pentagon. Additionally, Congress and other federal agencies were alerted to the investigation.
Records reveal that Knight maintained his innocence and the investigation was closed by July of 2016. No formal charges were filed.
But several women told the paper that Knight’s behavior was inappropriate. One woman said he grabbed her and lifted her into the air, another complained that he made inappropriate comments, and two others said he touched them without their permission. A lawyer for the former coach insisted the charges were baseless.
“There is absolutely no credible evidence to support this in our opinion, these allegations,” said attorney James Voyles. The lawyer added that the FBI “reported to their superiors that there was no basis for any further action, period.”
Knight has not responded to requests for comment, but the Post said his wife texted them saying, “Bob did nothing wrong and there is NO evidence to prove that he did. Case closed.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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