Former Temple University assistant football coach Antoine Smith is no longer employed by the university after being accused of sexual harassment, The Temple News first reported Wednesday.
Six women, three of whom were Temple students, are suing Smith, Temple and a dog-sitting app, claiming Smith used hidden cameras to film them sleeping and showering as they watched his dog overnight, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The women also claim university employees were aware of the misconduct and did not intervene.
The lawsuits come after at least a dozen women accused Smith of sexual misconduct and harassment on social media in April. Temple also launched an internal inquiry.
“While Temple University does not comment on personal matters or pending litigation, we can confirm that Mr. Smith is no longer employed by the university,” the university wrote in a statement to The Temple News. “Temple is currently reviewing the complaint and will respond in the appropriate forum.”
Smith, 47, used Rover, a popular app that connects dog sitters with owners, to recruit young women to watch his dogs overnight. Cameras were allegedly hidden in a Bluetooth speaker, wall clock, alarm clock and AC adapter in a bedroom and bathroom.
In text messages, Smith told the women he would provide snacks and wine for them and encouraged them to sleep in his bed and use his shower.
When one woman discovered the hidden cameras in April 2022, she immediately unplugged them, sent a photograph to Smith and said it made her uncomfortable. Smith told her she no longer needed to stay overnight, and he was coming home early.
The women also claim Rover did not adequately respond to multiple complaints filed against Smith’s account in the past.
The situation has resulted in stress, anxiety, nightmares and panic for the women and they are seeking punitive damages, said Amanda Jonas Lorenston, an attorney at McEldrew Purtell, a personal injury law firm in Philadelphia.
“My priority here has always been and will continue to be to determine what images or video exist of my clients,” Lorenston said. “The authorities in both the police department and the people at Temple University need to take these allegations seriously and investigate them.”
The investigation remains active and ongoing through the Special Victims Unit, the Philadelphia Police Department told The Temple News.
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