Luke Walton Under Investigation for Sexual Assault

New Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton is the subject of a sexual misconduct investigation. The joint NBA and Kings investigation is a result of allegations made by former sportscaster Kelli Tennant.

The lawsuit against Luke Walton was filed in Los Angeles earlier this week. The Sacramento Kings released a statement on the matter.

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“The Sacramento Kings and the National Basketball Association announced today that they have commenced a joint investigation into the allegations contained in a civil lawsuit filed Monday against Kings Head Coach Luke Walton.

“The Kings have hired Sue Ann Van Dermyden, founding partner of Sacramento law firm Van Dermyden Maddux, who is an expert on employment law with decades of experience in conducting investigations, and Jennifer Doughty, a veteran investigator and senior associate attorney at Van Dermyden Maddux. They will lead the Kings investigatory team.

“The NBA’s investigatory team will be led by Elizabeth Maringer, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Integrity and Investigations. Prior to joining the NBA, Ms. Maringer served 12 years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, including three as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.

“The Kings and the NBA take these allegations very seriously and will collaborate to conduct a complete and thorough investigation.”

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Walton’s attorney, Mark Baute, has described the allegations as ‘baseless’. He added that Walton will prove it in court.

According to Tennant, she was attacked by Walton when he was the assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors. That would place the allegations between 2014 and 2016.

According to her lawyer, it would be difficult to file a police report due to the amount of time that has passed. Tennant says she confided in friends at the time but never reported it because she was scared.