Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss face lawsuit from player allegedly kicked off team

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and the university are facing a lawsuit from defensive tackle DeSanto Rollins after he was allegedly kicked off the team by Kiffin.

Rollins alleges he was kicked off the football team after he missed several practices and meetings during what he called a mental health crisis.

The lawsuit has several allegations against Kiffin and the university, including racial discrimination, discrimination on the basis of disability or perceived disability, sexual discrimination, intentional affliction of emotional distress on the part of Kiffin, and gross negligence. 

Rollins is seeking $10 million in compensatory damages and $30 million in punitive damages from Kiffin, as well as a restraining order. 

Ole Miss responded to the report on Thursday night saying that it has not been notified of a lawsuit and that Rollins remains on scholarship and still has access to all of the resources and advantages that are available to student athletes. 

Rollins, a defensive tackle that appeared in three games since the start of the 2020 season, has battled injuries during his entire time with the program.

The lawsuit alleges that in November Rollins met with defensive line coach Randall Joyner during an exit interview, with the coach urging Rollins to enter the transfer portal. Rollins declined that request, which was followed by Rollins experiencing severe depression after the death of his grandmother in January. 

A few weeks later, Kiffin met with Rollins and attempted to move him from defensive tackle to the scout team offensive line because he would not transfer, with Rollins responding by telling the coach he was taking a mental break. 

After meeting with a school psychologist, Rollins was informed that Kiffin wanted to meet with him again, but Rollins said he was not ready to meet with the coach. After repeated attempts for the coaching staff to meet with Rollins, he finally agreed in March and recorded the interaction with Kiffin, where Kiffin berated him and could be heard saying that Rollins was off the team. The audio of that meeting was included with the lawsuit.