Showtime is not always the best thing.
Former Los Angeles Lakers player and coach Byron Scott has been accused of one of the worst crimes possible, sexually assaulting an underaged 15-year-old girl in 1987, according to a lawsuit obtained by the Los Angeles Times. At the time of the alleged incident, the presumed victim was a student at Campbell Hall High School, and Scott was a member of the Lakers, led by coach Pat Riley.
According to the suit, Scott and the rest of the team were filming an instructional video at Campbell Hall on the day of the alleged incident. Scott, then 26 years-of-age, is accused of assaulting the woman after talking to her during a pause and getting a tour of the school.
The woman stated that, after getting her by herself in the janitor’s closet, Scott “began kissing her on the mouth as she repeatedly asked, ‘What are you doing?'”
The suit goes on to discuss further details, accusing Scott of pushing the woman, then 15, to her knees and removing her top. The woman also claims Scott “exposed his erect penis and attempted to force [her] to perform oral sex on him.”
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Scott’s attorney Linda Bauermeister says the former Laker was under the impression the woman was over 18 years old at the time of the alleged incident.
“Our client is devastated by this complaint, a basketball event that took place in 1987,” Bauermeister wrote in the statement. “Our client believed the plaintiff to be over 18 and had no idea she would claim otherwise until 35 years later. He respects girls and women, and the claims have blindsided him and his family. “The woman’s lawsuit claims that she has been forced to “deal with the trauma privately” over the years, and she is now seeking “closure.”
Scott was married to his first wife, Anita Scott, at the time of the alleged assault. They had three children and divorced eleven years ago in 2014. Scott is currently married to Cece Gutierrez, who has appeared on the “Basketball Wives” reality show.
The suit also holds the school responsible for putting the woman in a position to be assaulted, saying it has caused her “severe psychological and emotional distress, as well as feelings of embarrassment, loss of self-esteem, shame, and humiliation,”
Scott played for the Lakers for a decade, from 1983-1993 and won three championships, and he rejoined the team for his final NBA season in 1996-97. In 2014, Scott was named coach of the Lakers, and coached the late, great Kobe Bryan, but he was relieved of his duties after two seasons and a dismal 38-126 record. Scott also played for the Indiana Pacers and then-Vancouver Grizzlies before returning to the Lakers. He also coached the New Jersey Nets to back-to-back Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. He is currently coaching in the Philippines.
