This story contains references to sexual violence and harassment and may be disturbing to some readers.
Just 17 days after he was hired as the Falcons’ assistant defensive line coach, LaTroy Lewis has been fired by the team after a report surfaced that he was accused of rape in Michigan, according to Darko State News.
The Falcons issued a report on Friday morning, stating:
“We are aware of allegations regarding LaTroy Lewis. We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.”
Just a few hours later, the Falcons announced Lewis has been fired.
“The Atlanta Falcons have dismissed assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis from his role,” the statement read in its entirety.
Mark Raimondi of ESPN reported that the Ann Arbor Police Department is investigating the allegations.
According to the report, the assault occurred while Lewis was on the University of Michigan’s coaching staff. The report claims Lewis not only sexually assaulted the accuser, but harassed her, allegedly sending texts to the accuser that said “I’m going to fuck you up,” and “I’d fucking kill you! Don’t play with me.”
The report also claims the accuser reported the rape to then-Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, who was a mandated reporter of sexual assault under both Title IX and the university’s policies. Moore allegedly failed to report the assault, gave Lewis a raise, and allegedly sexually harassed the accuser himself, per the report.
The alleged assault took place in 2024. Lewis spent 2025 as the University of Toledo’s defensive line coach. He accepted a job with UConn before jumping to the NFL with the offer to join Atlanta’s staff.
No charges have been filed against Lewis related to this incident that I’ve been able to confirm, and because of that, I don’t know the team could have found this during a background check. If charges are filed, Lewis should be considered innocent until proven guilty by the legal system — but the Falcons aren’t under any such obligation, and given the level of scrutiny they’re already under as we wait for a resolution in James Pearce Jr.‘s criminal case, the choice to close the door on Lewis’s brief employment in light of these allegations is no surprise.
