Ole Miss defensive lineman DeSanto Rollins is actively suing Lane Kiffin for alleged mistreatment over his mental health. He seeks $40 million in damages from the head coach and the university.
From an outsider’s perspective with zero knowledge of the factual reality, new evidence submitted in the lawsuit appears to prove the exact opposite of his entire case.
The lawsuit is focused on 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 remains on scholarship with the program. Ole Miss has asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed.
DeSanto Rollins recorded Lane Kiffin, legally, without his consent.
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 Lane Kiffin asked to meet with DeSanto 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 pretty explosive audio later leaked. Kiffin can be heard calling the player a “p—-” who is hiding behind “s—” and not showing up for work. He also told Rollins that he’s off the team.
That declaration was shortly reversed after the meeting abruptly concluded.
New evidence seemingly backfired.
Rollins’ entire case is based around negligence. He believes that Ole Miss and Kiffin did not treat him properly, or fairly, while dealing with mental health struggles.
New texts submitted by Rollins appear to show that the Rebels staff was actually attentive and caring. They seem to go against his claims.
The evidence brought forward consists of alleged text exchanges with multiple coaches, including Kiffin and Assistant AD for Sports Psychology at Ole Miss Dr. Josie Nicholson. It also included conversations between Rollins’ mother and staffers in Oxford.
One such exchange took place on March 21, one day after Kiffin berated Rollins. The former asked the latter to hop on the phone.
Is there a reason you can’t answer your phone now and hung up on the strength coach(?) To be clear you are not losing your scholarship in any way. I asked every day for you to come and (meet) with me and tell me what’s going on with you and they said every-time over the weeks that you refused to meet with me and would not come tell me why you hadn’t showed up for work outs.
I tried to follow you out to re-meet with you. I have talk(ed) to your mother I called all of our coaches to try and meet with you again also. I am trying to understand your plan or what you are doing or not doing.
— Lane Kiffin in an alleged text message to DeSanto Rollins
The legal filing also shows multiple instances in which Ole Miss staffers, including defensive line coach Randall Joyner and offensive line coach John Garrison, checked on Rollins. They offered him support during his struggles and repeatedly asked him to meet with Kiffin.
On March 24, Kiffin allegedly texted Rollins to say that “we will support whatever you want to do” and told him to take as long as he needs. The player responded to tell the coach that all further communication should go through his attorney.
Kiffin proceeded to text Rollins’ mom.
Well I haven’t heard anything back from him at all after I called you about him coming to meet with me. So we are just letting you guys do whatever you want to do. Which has been the case for awhile anyway. This is (a) new area for me as a coach that a player doesn’t show up or even respond to me or other coaches that reach out to him but I hope he is doing well. Just keep us posted on what it is you guys decide to do if you can.
— Lane Kiffin in an alleged text message to DeSanto Rollins’ mother
Another submitted message showed former analyst Michael Nysewander reach out to Rollins with good intentions on April 3. Rollins’ response, if he replied, was not included in the filing.
An email from August showed Ole Miss Counsel Ane Debro state that a discussion surrounding Rollins’ return to the team could take place after he was released from his physician’s care. It also asked for all contact to go through her office if Rollins desired access to team facilities or personnel. Debro was later in contact with Rollins’ attorney about an NCAA-mandated Title IX training for all student-athletes.
What does this prove?
There is still a long way to go in this legal saga. It is unclear as to how Rollins and his attorney will proceeded. Ole Miss continues to ask for a dismissal.
However, the text messages submitted earlier this week may not help Rollins’ case. He claims that Kiffin and the university treated him with negligence before kicking him off of the team. The text messages give the impression that the Rebels, including their head coach, were overly attentive toward Rollins while being cautiously optimistic about his return to the program after taking some time away to focus on his mental health.
Perhaps Rollins and his lawyers will claim that the follow-up messages — after the meeting during which Kiffin told him he was off of the team — was posterior protection. Perhaps they will say that the tone shifted from before the meeting and after.
The rest is up to a judge to decide! Did the additional messages help or hurt Rollins’ case?