COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO) — A graduate assistant football coach at Ohio Dominican University has filed a federal Title IX lawsuit accusing the university of failing to properly respond after she reported being assaulted by one of the team’s players and then retaliating against her for reporting the incident. The lawsuit also alleges wage violations and seeks compensatory and punitive damages. According to the lawsuit, Madison Lindamood, one of a small number of women coaching college football nationwide, said she was assaulted during a university-sponsored event in March when a football player allegedly confronted her, grabbed her belongings and physically pulled her while searching through her bag without permission. Lindamood said the incident left bruises on her neck, which she photographed, and that at least one witness observed what happened. Lindamood alleges she reported the incident to head football coach Kelly Cummings and the university’s Title IX coordinator but chose not to file a police report because she feared losing her job and was concerned for her safety. According to the complaint, university officials directed her to resolve the matter internally rather than through law enforcement. The lawsuit further alleges Cummings was placed in charge of reviewing the complaint and minimized the incident according to NBC4 Columbus. According to the filing, Cummings told Lindamood his “personal definition of assault required blood or severe bruising” and suggested the player’s actions may have been comparable to how a sibling behaves. The lawsuit also alleges he questioned what Lindamood could have done differently during the encounter. Lindamood alleges that after reporting the incident, she was subjected to retaliation by university officials and coaching staff. The lawsuit claims she was publicly criticized by coaches, excluded from meetings and team communications, and required to continue working in close proximity to the player she accused of assaulting her despite assurances that she would not face retaliation. According to the complaint, the situation worsened after Lindamood’s mother filed a complaint with the university in April regarding the alleged retaliation. The lawsuit says Lindamood was then effectively shut out of the football program. “I wanted that job,” Lindamood said in a statement included with the lawsuit. “What I did not expect was to be told that what happened to me did not count unless it drew blood. No woman should have to choose between staying silent and losing the career she’s worked so hard to build.” In addition to the Title IX claims, Lindamood alleges she was not properly compensated for her work as a graduate assistant coach. The lawsuit contends she earned the equivalent of about $1.29 per hour after unpaid overtime was factored in, well below Ohio’s minimum wage. She is seeking unpaid wages in addition to other damages. Her attorney, Sean Sobel, said Lindamood believed reporting the alleged assault to police could jeopardize both her safety and her coaching career. “She was afraid that pushing it further would cost her her job, and she feared for her safety,” Sobel said. “Reporting it internally cost her the job anyway.” The lawsuit comes as women remain significantly underrepresented in college football coaching. According to NCAA data cited in court filings, Lindamood was one of only 35 female football coaches across all NCAA divisions in 2025, compared with roughly 7,500 male coaches. As of mid-July, Lindamood remained listed as a graduate assistant coach on Ohio Dominican University’s athletics staff directory. The university had not publicly responded to the allegations detailed in the lawsuit at the time of the reports. The post Ohio Dominican Football Coach Sues University, Alleges Assault by Player and Retaliation appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less