Louisiana State University swimming and diving team members allege their coaches have engaged in bullying, racist comments and “toxic” behavior.
The student-athlete exit interviews were obtained by the Louisiana Illuminator and Tiger Rag in a public records request, according to Piper Hutchinson of the Illuminator. The Illuminator and Tiger Rag asked the university for copies of its student-athlete exit interviews from 2021-25. The NCAA requires all Division I schools to conduct interviews with a sampling of athletes every year once they graduate or after their eligibility expires, but the interviews do not have to be recorded, Hutchinson reported.
Of LSU's 16 athletic programs, the swimming and diving teams had the most interviews recorded, with 35 students giving feedback over four years based on the records provided to the Illuminator. Although 10 athletes criticized Stancil and Bishop, almost everyone interviewed had some positive comment about their athletics experience, according to Hutchinson.
The swimming and diving team has one set of coaches for both men and women athletes, according to the Illuminator.
Complaints span a three-year period and center on head coach Rick Bishop and former associate head coach Leah Stancil, whose contract was not renewed when it expired earlier this year.
"In their interviews, the athletes allege the swimming and diving program was rife with bullying and motivation through fear," Hutchinson wrote.
Hutchinson singled out several complaints:
- One athlete said the program broke them "physically and mentally," while another said the coaches didn’t respect injuries.
- One student went so far as to state that Stancil “made her life hell,” the administrator who conducted the interview wrote, causing her to have a mental health crisis. The assistant coach ruined the sport for her, the athlete claimed.
- Multiple athletes said in their interviews that Stancil made fun of a Chinese student’s name, commented on athletes’ appearances and showed favoritism toward men on the team.
- Other students reported that after a woman on the team complained about inappropriate behavior by male teammates, Bishop excused the men’s behavior in comments to the entire team, saying “boys are stupid and can make stupid decisions” while making direct eye contact with the woman who made the report. The interview records do not detail the nature of the inappropriate behavior.
- One student complained that Bishop intimidated her when she attempted to raise concerns about Stancil’s behavior, alleging the head coach would not let her read a letter detailing Stancil’s actions without Stancil present.
LSU athletics spokesman Zach Greenwell told the Illuminator the university does not comment on specific personnel matters.
In a letter notifying Stancil her contract would not be renewed, LSU athletic director Scott Woodward thanked the coach for her contributions to the university, according to Hutchinson.
“We appreciate your dedication and wish you the best in future endeavors,” Woodward said in the letter, which the Illuminator and Tiger Rag obtained through a public records request.
