Falcons assistant coach LaTroy Lewis fired amid rape and battery allegations

The Atlanta Falcons have dismissed assistant defensive line coach LaTroy Lewis following serious allegations tied to his time at the University of Michigan. His removal came less than a month after he joined the team, marking a swift response to the claims becoming public.

Lewis was officially fired on Friday, Feb. 27, shortly after journalist Justin Spiro reported allegations of rape said to have occurred in December 2024 while Lewis was serving on Michigan’s coaching staff. The report included images of messages allegedly sent by Lewis to a female accuser.

Before announcing his dismissal, the Falcons acknowledged the situation in an initial statement. “We are aware of allegations regarding LaTroy Lewis. We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time,” the team stated, according to Reuters. A follow-up statement later confirmed that the Falcons “have dismissed” Lewis from his position.

Falcons Remove LaTroy Lewis After Allegations Prompt Investigation (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

Authorities are now involved in the matter. A spokesperson for the Ann Arbour Police Department confirmed that an investigation is underway. “The Ann Arbor Police Department was just recently made aware of allegations regarding a sexual assault reported to have occurred on December 5, 2024. The suspect in this investigation is LaTroy Lewis,” the department said.

“The AAPD Detective Bureau launched an immediate investigation into the incident. This investigation remains active and ongoing.” Lewis had joined the Falcons on Feb. 10. According to reports, the accuser alleges that after connecting through a dating app, Lewis raped and battered her in a hotel room during a work-related visit to Ann Arbor on Dec. 5, 2024.

Her attorney, Karen Truszkowski, described her behaviour as “increasingly aggressive.” Alleged text messages cited in the report include threats such as “I’m going to f— you up” and “I’d f—ing kill you.” Images shared alongside the report allegedly show injuries sustained by the accuser.

The #Falcons have dismissed LaTroy Lewis from his role as assistant defensive line coach, per the team.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) February 27, 2026

The woman has also claimed that a separate incident occurred in January 2025 at her Michigan apartment, where Lewis allegedly became physically violent. While police responded at the time, she did not initially disclose the alleged battery, reportedly out of fear.

Days before the allegations surfaced publicly, she filed an incident report and sought a protective order. Lewis has not publicly addressed the accusations. However, his attorney, Fabiola A. Galguera, has denied the claims.

“My firm is proud to stand by our client LaTroy Lewis in light of the allegations being made against him,” she said. “Allegations of sexual misconduct are not proof of sexual misconduct. It is essential to pass judgment based on facts, and the facts are currently not being presented to the public. Mr. Lewis intends to fiercely fight these false allegations with the support of his wife, family, and my team.”

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