The Sacramento Kings and the NBA didn’t find enough evidence to continue with an investigation into Luke Walton’s alleged sexual assault and decided to close the case. The two parties determined that, based on available evidence, there was “not a sufficient basis to support” the case. Kelli Tennant, a reporter who alleged that Walton sexually assaulted her in 2014, did not participate in their investigation, according to the statement.
The Kings and the NBA have concluded their investigation into allegations against Luke Walton. They said they did not find sufficient evidence to support Kelli Tennant’s accusations of sexual assault. pic.twitter.com/m4DmDD6LhP
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) August 23, 2019
Tennant, who used to work as a host on Spectrum SportsNet LA, the Los Angeles Lakers’ regional sports network, filed a civil lawsuit against Walton in April. She said that Walton, who worked as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors at the time, assaulted her in a hotel room in Santa Monica, California.
“Out of nowhere, he got on top of me and pinned me down to the bed and held my arms down with all of his weight while he kissed my neck and my face and my chest,” Tennant said during the news conference, adding that when she asked him to get off, “he laughed at me.”
However, Walton said in a court last month that the allegations against him are only designed to get media attention and that they are not backed up by facts. The NBA and Sacramento Kings opened a joint investigation into the allegations.
Sue Ann Van Dermyden, from the Sacramento law firm Van Dermyden Maddux, led the investigatory team, along with the senior vice president and assistant general counsel of the NBA, Elizabeth Maringer.
The Sacramento Kings released a separate statement about Luke Walton on Friday, stating that he “is our head coach, and we support him and his team as they continue to prepare for the upcoming season.”
The Kings and the NBA said that the investigation is considered closed unless and if new evidence appears.
