Ole Miss defensive lineman DeSanto Rollins is suing Lane Kiffin for alleged mistreatment over his mental health. He seeks $40 million in damages from the head coach and the university.
The most recent development, while very important to the case, is unfortunate for all parties involved.
Rollins is using the death of his teammate’s father as evidence of mistreatment in his lawsuit.
The lawsuit is focused around mental health and race.
Rollins claims that Kiffin “ignored” signs of depression and subjected him to “grossly reckless, and indifferent” treatment on basis of race. The legal team representing Ole Miss and its head football coach argue that the Plaintiff “has not alleged Kiffin treated him differently than other similarly situated individuals, much less that he did so with discriminatory intent because of Plaintiff’s race or sex.”
Filed in September, the lawsuit asserts that Rollins was kicked off of the team after missing team activities, including practice, during a “mental health crisis.” The Rebels push back on that claim.
Rollins is still on scholarship with the university.
Lane Kiffin asked for communication.
Rollins took a break from the program while suffering from depression that stemmed from a series of injuries and the death of his grandmother. His mental health is important.
However, when Kiffin asked to meet with Rollins about a path forward on multiple different occasions, the latter repeatedly said that he was not ready. A lack of communication was a large part of the contention between the two, not necessarily the player’s situation.
Kiffin and Rollins eventually met in the head coach’s office. Rollins recorded the conversation, legally, without Kiffin’s knowledge. The audio later leaked, and provided further context to the lawsuit.
Ole Miss has asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed. Magistrate Judge Roy Percy issued a stay one day after the request.
Evidence continues to mount.
Although legal proceedings are on pause for the moment, Rollins is not slowing down. He, through his lawyer, responded to the motion to dismiss his case on Tuesday.
All of Kiffin’s actions and inactions were intentional, deliberate, malicious, grossly negligent, negligent, and taken in reckless disregard for the rights and mental health of Rollins. All of the actions and inactions [of employees of the Ole Miss athletics department] were grossly negligent, negligent, and taken in reckless disregard for the rights and mental health of Rollins. Kiffin was malevolently ingenious in the manner he discriminated against Rollins.
— DeSanto Rollins’ attorney, Carroll Edwards Rhodes
They also provided evidence of the alleged mistreatment.
Rollins pointed to how an unnamed kicker remained on the Ole Miss roster after a positive drug test.
Caden Costa was suspended by the NCAA in November of 2021 for the remainder of his freshman season over a failed substance test. He is white.
Costa was not kicked off of the team because of the suspension. Rollins wonders why, and claims that Kiffin’s decision not to remove the suspended kicker was an example of mistreatment toward his mental health break.
The new comparisons did not stop there.
Caden Prieskorn recently lost his father at the young age of 52. The Rebels’ starting tight end then took time off from team activities — during a bye week — to grieve with his family. He is white.
Rollins claims that Lane Kiffin allowing Prieskorn to return home is another example of mistreatment. Whether right or wrong is up to the court.
Either way, the death of Rollins’ teammate’s father is being used as leverage in his lawsuit.