, who told ESPN he was recently kicked off the team for missing practices and meetings during a"mental health crisis," is suing the university and coach Lane Kiffin for failure to provide equal protection, racial and sexual discrimination, and multiple other allegations, according to the lawsuit filed on Thursday.
It states that nobody within the athletic department or football staff provided Rollins with materials about mental health or a mental health referral after the injury. He was reinstated to practice the following month, and in August, Rollins aggravated a previous injury to the LCL in his left knee. In addition to the physical pain he suffered, the lawsuit states that Rollins also suffered from"severe depression.
At that point, Rollins told Kiffin that he was going to take"a mental break," according to the lawsuit. Rollins went to his car and immediately called strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage and reiterated his need for a mental break. Rollins didn't meet with Kiffin again until March 21, despite repeated requests from the football staff. During the meeting Rollins legally recorded Kiffin without his knowledge, and a copy of the transcript was included in the lawsuit. ESPN has heard the audio recording but was not able to independently verify it.
"I didn't say they're not real," Kiffin responded."You show up when your head -- when your boss wants to meet with you. It wouldn't have been like this. If you would've come here when you kept getting messages the head coach wants to talk to you, you say I'm not ready to talk to him.""I don't see why you have to be disrespectful, honestly," Rollins said.
The lawsuit alleges that"as a proximate result of the actions and inactions of the defendants ... Rollins has suffered physical pain and emotional distress and anguish." It also cites the Americans with Disabilities Act, alleging that Rollins was kicked off the football team because of his disability, which it states was a"mental impairment.