Ed Orgeron's separation agreement requires him to cooperate in LSU's Title IX litigation
LSU has reached a separation agreement with football coach Ed Orgeron and among the terms is a clause requiring him to cooperate in the school's ongoing Title IX litigation.
Per the separation agreement release Sunday evening by the university, Orgeron must "cooperate in the defense of any litigation in which (Orgeron) is named a defendant or identified as a witness as a result of (Orgeron’s) employment at LSU.”
Orgeron, who will coach the Tigers for the rest of the year, will receive his full $16.9 million buyout. The agreement terminates the six-year, $42 million extension Orgeron agreed to in Jan. 2020. He was set to make $9 million in total compensation in 2021, second only to Alabama’s Nick Saban.
LSU will pay Orgeron a monthly base salary of $500,000 and a $150,000 option to finish the season. The revised employment agreement began Monday and expires on Nov. 30.
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Orgeron agreed to a noncompete clause in the separation agreement, preventing him from taking another SEC head-coaching job for 18 months.
LSU to pay Orgeron’s buyout in installments
Orgeron will received his buyout in 18 installments through Dec. 2025, beginning with a $5.68 million payment in December. The rest of the payouts are as follows.
January 2022: $667,000
June 2022: $1 million
July 2022: $750,000
December 2022: $1 million
January 2023: $750,000
June 2023: $750,000
July 2023: $750,000
December 2023: $750,000
January 2024: $750,000
June 2024: $500,000
July 2024: $750,000
December 2024: $500,000
June 2025: $426,000
July 2025: $750,000
December 2025: $426,000
Orgeron must cooperate in LSU’s Title IX litigation
In June, Orgeron was added as a defendant in the ongoing Title IX lawsuit against LSU. The lawsuit accuses Orgeron of not reporting the alleged rape of an LSU student by former running back Derrius Guice.
Ashlyn Robertson accused Guice of raping her at a party while she was unconscious. Per the lawsuit, Robertson dated an LSU football recuirt, who told Orgeron about the alleged rape after he joined the team.
Orgeron denied being told of the alleged rape, per the investigation by the Husch Blackwell law firm.
What happens if Orgeron does not finish the season
LSU is not liable to pay Orgeron’s base salary if he is fired with cause per the terms of the employment agreement. Per the agreement, failure to comply with LSU’s Title IX policies or report any incident of sexual misconduct is grounds for termination with cause.
If Orgeron is fired without cause, LSU will pay him the remainder of his base salary. Orgeron would owe LSU the remainder of his base salary if he resigns during the 2021 season.
Orgeron could coach in a bowl game
The employment agreement includes a postseason option that extends Orgeron through a potential bowl game. LSU agreed pay Orgeron an additional $25,000 if the Tigers reach a bowl.
At 4-3, LSU must win two more games to reach bowl eligibility. The rest of the schedule includes road games at No. 12 Ole Miss and No. 4 Alabama, followed by home games against Arkansas, Louisiana-Monroe and No. 17 Texas A&M.
Adam Hunsucker covers LSU for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at ahunsucker@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @adam_hunsucker.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Ed Orgeron must cooperate in LSU's Title IX litigation, per agreement
