Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics at TSU on administrative leave amid sexual assault allegations

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HOUSTON - A top leader at Texas Southern University has been placed on administrative leave amid allegations of sexual assault. The vice president of TSU's intercollegiate athletics, Kevin Granger, is facing a civil lawsuit that accuses him of sexually assaulting a coworker in April. 

Texas Southern University female employee speaks out

"I was sexually abused by somebody who was in authority at my workplace," said the female employee who asked to remain anonymous. 

What we know:

The Buzbee Law Fire filed a lawsuit on Monday in Harris County on behalf of a female employee against Granger. The employee claims Granger repeatedly sexualized her for over a month. It's a situation she claims was unavoidable given their close work proximity and job responsibilities. She alleges he abused his authority at TSU to sexually harass and assault her. 

"He just continued to try and get me to honestly have sex with him in his office," said the alleged victim. 

The suit alleges Granger invited the employee into his office where she was sexually assaulted. Court documents state Granger asked if she was recording him or wearing a wire, while inappropriately patting her down. 

Court documents report that the Athletic Director questioned her about the last time she had sexual intercourse. The documents also state Granger requested to see his coworker's genitals and perform oral sex on her. The documents show he groped the employee's breasts and genitals and forced his hand onto his penis. 

"I went to my office where my coworkers was and one of our students was in there, and I just cried," said the female employee. "So I have to think about just all the women who have gone through something like this and are afraid to speak up because they don’t want to lose their job."

Despite the fear, she's choosing to speak up, not just for herself, but for anyone who feels powerless. 

"There’s a lot of young women that work there. There’s a lot of young women who come through there, and I just feel like maybe it’s my responsibility to say something," she said. 

What they're saying:

Texas Southern University issued the following statement: 

"As of today (Monday), Texas Southern University is aware of allegations involving a senior member of our leadership team. The university does not comment on pending litigation."

The Buzbee Law Firm, handling the case, has provided the following statement: 

"The Buzbee Law Firm filed suit yesterday in Harris County State Court on behalf of {NAME REDACTED}, Texas Southern University’s Sports Information Coordinator, against Kevin Granger, Athletic Director for TSU. The case alleges that on April 30, 2025, Athletic Director Granger invited {NAME REDACTED} to his office. While there, Granger repeatedly asked {NAME REDACTED} if she was "recording him" or "wearing a wire" while he proceeded to inappropriately pat her down. The lawsuit further alleges that Granger continued to question {NAME REDACTED} about her relationship history and if she had ever been romantically been involved with a colleague. According to the suit, Granger's questions became increasingly vulgar and graphic. As set forth in the lawsuit, Granger ultimately propositioned {NAME REDACTED} seeking sex, while at the same time groping her breasts and vagina, and manipulating her hand onto his erect penis. According to the facts set forth in detail in the suit, Granger told {NAME REDACTED} if she would comply with his requests, he could "help her career".

The lawsuit further details that {NAME REDACTED} bravely resisted Granger’s advances and was ultimately able to extricate herself from Granger's office.

Reports have been made with the Houston Police Department, the EEOC, and the Human Resources department at TSU. More details are included in the attached file-stamped petition."

Dr. Granger's attorney responds

Letitia Quinones-Hollins, attorney for Dr. Kevin Granger, issued the following statement: "These are serious allegations, and they deserve a serious response, which we will make at the appropriate time and in court. In the meantime, I can tell you that no sexual assault occurred and any indication that it did, is false. Dr. Granger is an incredibly well-respected part of the TSU community and his work there, over many years, has created opportunities for the school and its students that did not exist before."