The Atlanta Falcons executed a swift personnel correction Friday, terminating assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis immediately following the Ann Arbor Police Department’s confirmation of an active sexual assault investigation. The decision arrived just hours after the franchise acknowledged allegations tracing back to Lewis’ tenure on the University of Michigan staff in late 2024. While the Falcons initially stated they were gathering information, the confirmation of Lewis as a suspect by law enforcement accelerated the timeline for his dismissal. (A tenure lasting just 18 days suggests the vetting process was nonexistent).
The Timeline of Allegations
The Ann Arbor Police Department formally identified Lewis as the suspect in a sexual assault reported to have occurred on December 5, 2024. According to Karen Truszkowski, the attorney representing the accuser, the incident took place in an Ann Arbor hotel where the woman was staying for a work function. The two had met via a dating app and were communicating primarily through text and social media, arranging to meet in person that night solely for the return of gifts following the woman’s decision to end the relationship. Truszkowski described the encounter as violent, stating Lewis “raped her, assaulted her, beat her up” during the meeting.
Lewis served on the Michigan staff from 2022 through early 2025, transitioning from a graduate assistant to an assistant defensive line coach. Following the 2024 season, he briefly accepted a role at Toledo before the Falcons hired him on February 10, 2026. The abrupt termination underscores the volatility of hiring cycles when background checks fail to flag pending legal or ethical liabilities.
Systemic Failure in Ann Arbor
The allegations extend beyond individual misconduct and implicate the leadership structure at Michigan under former head coach Sherrone Moore. Truszkowski stated that the woman reported the assault to Moore the following day, operating under the assumption that the head coach would address criminal behavior within his ranks. Instead of initiating protocol, Moore allegedly claimed inability to act and subsequently attempted to pursue a physical relationship with the accuser himself. Truszkowski characterized this not as negligence, but as active weaponization of a traumatic event.
Ellen Michaels, representing Moore, issued a denial, asserting her client did not fail to report misconduct or harass the woman. However, Moore’s credibility is currently trading at an all-time low. Michigan fired Moore for cause in December 2025 following evidence of an inappropriate relationship with a staff member, and he currently faces charges including third-degree home invasion and stalking. (The correlation between on-field discipline and off-field chaos is rarely zero).
Procedural Gaps and Legal Data
The legal record indicates warning signs existed prior to the Falcons’ hiring decision. A court clerk confirmed the accuser initiated a personal protective order case against Lewis in Washtenaw County, though the order remains pending. Additionally, police in Milford, Michigan, responded to an incident in January 2025 involving Lewis and the same woman regarding a loud argument, though that case was closed due to insufficient evidence for charges. Truszkowski also confirmed approaching Michigan’s general counsel in January to report the assault.
Jenner & Block is currently conducting an external investigation into the culture of Michigan’s athletic department, a probe necessitated by the cascade of scandals engulfing the program. Michigan spokesman Paul Corliss urged those with information to contact the firm, labeling the allegations “deeply concerning.” As the investigation remains active, the Falcons have successfully excised the liability from their roster, but the reputational damage to the hiring systems involved remains permanent.