According to court documents obtained by ESPN’s Chris Low, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi has dismissed DeSanto Rollins’ lawsuit against Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and the University of Mississippi.
The lawsuit, initially filed in September, included allegations of racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, discrimination based on disability, infliction of emotional stress, negligence, and gross negligence, as reported by Jared Redding of Inside the Rebels.
Rollins, a defensive tackle for the Rebels, had claimed that Kiffin expelled him from the team during a “mental health crisis” for missing practices and meetings.
His lawsuit sought $10 million in compensatory damages and $30 million in punitive damages. Kiffin and Ole Miss filed a motion for dismissal in November, leading to the recent decision by the judge.
The former three-star recruit accused Kiffin of punishing him based on race for taking a mental health break, alleging differential treatment compared to white student-athletes who made similar requests, according to information provided by Low. Rollins also claimed that Kiffin verbally assaulted him during a meeting in February 2023.
In the same month, Rollins’ mother contacted Ole Miss athletic trainer Pat Jernigan to inform him about her son’s mental health crisis. Rollins subsequently met with Josie Nicholson, the assistant athletic director for sports psychology, who encouraged him to step back. A follow-up meeting was scheduled for March 7, during which Nicholson informed Rollins that Kiffin wanted to meet with him.
The meeting between Rollins and Kiffin finally took place in March 2023. In an audio recording, legally obtained and included in the lawsuit, Kiffin can be heard telling Rollins, “You’re off the team. You’re done. See ya. Go. And guess what? We can kick you off the team. So read your f—ing rights about mental health. We can kick you off the team for not showing up.”
Throughout the legal process, Rollins remained on the team’s roster, though he did not play in any games for the Rebels in 2023.
