Three-decade coaching veteran cleared by Colgate's own investigation speaks publicly for the first time; calls media coverage "reckless" and "a smear campaign with a press pass"

HAMILTON, N.Y., Feb. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Coach Kathy Taylor, one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of women's lacrosse, today issued the following statement in response to ongoing allegations stemming from a December 2025 lawsuit filed against Colgate University by a former player. Coach Taylor is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Colgate's own five-month investigation, completed in August 2022, cleared Coach Taylor and the university subsequently extended her contract.

STATEMENT FROM COACH KATHY TAYLOR:
"For thirty years, I have dedicated my life to empowering young women through the game of lacrosse. The outpouring of support from nearly fifty former players, coaches, and parents – women who are now military officers, corporate executives, Division I coaches, educators, mothers, and leaders in their communities – has moved me beyond words. Their testimonials reflect the truth of what we built together. And the truth matters, because it has been buried for too long.

"I stayed quiet when these allegations first surfaced – not because I had anything to hide. I was told not to speak because of the investigation, and I wanted to protect the players, the staff, and the program I cared deeply about. I wanted to coach. I believed the truth would be enough to set the record straight, and that we could move on to the business of building a program. I was wrong. The false allegations were reprinted as fact – over and over, for years – while I kept my head down, tried to reassure my players, protect my staff, and build something that mattered. Colgate's own five-month investigation cleared me. They didn't just retain me – they extended my contract. And still, not a single outlet bothered to report that. The fiction was more convenient than the truth.

"I will no longer sit by while my three-decade career built on integrity, accountability, and genuine care is rewritten by a lawsuit that conflates demanding coaching with abuse. The media coverage hasn't been careless – it has been reckless. Fiction presented as fact, allegations treated as verdicts, and not once did anyone pick up the phone and ask me or the fifty people who actually lived this experience for our side of the story. That is not journalism. That is a smear campaign with a press pass.

"I have always coached with high expectations because I believed in my players' potential – because that is what they deserved. A coach who would push them further than they thought they could go. A coach who would tell them the truth when it was hard to hear. A coach who showed up every single day for thirty years because this work meant everything to me. That is my legacy – and no lawsuit and no headline will erase what thirty years and hundreds of young women have proven to be true. But make no mistake: the damage is real. It has deeply affected me, my family, and my friends – forever. And I am done being silent about it."

BACKGROUND
Coach Kathy Taylor's career spans more than three decades across every competitive level of women's lacrosse. Her teams at Fayetteville-Manlius High School won multiple New York State Championships. At SUNY Cortland, she built the Division III program into a national championship contender with three consecutive Final Four appearances. At Le Moyne College, she won the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship and was named National Coach of the Year.

Taylor has been inducted into the Fayetteville-Manlius High School Hall of Fame, the Upstate Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame. She was elected President of the International Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association by her peers. She holds a master's degree in counseling.

In 2019, Colgate University hired Taylor with an explicit mandate to elevate its women's lacrosse program. In early 2022, an anonymous letter from unnamed individuals alleged coaching misconduct. Colgate conducted a comprehensive five-month investigation involving more than 30 interviews. The investigation cleared Coach Taylor. Colgate retained Taylor and subsequently extended her contract.

In December 2025, former player Amelia Cunningham filed a lawsuit against Colgate University. Coach Taylor is not named as a defendant.

KEY FACTS

• Coach Taylor was cleared by Colgate's own five-month investigation in August 2022.
• Colgate not only retained Coach Taylor but extended her contract following the investigation.
• Coach Taylor is not named as a defendant in the December 2025 lawsuit.
• 50 former players, coaches, and parents from across all four programs Taylor led have submitted testimonials in her support.
• Supporters include a U.S. Army Major, corporate executives, Division I coaches, educators, athletic directors, and medical professionals.
• The plaintiff was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year during the very season she alleges debilitating injury.
• Coach Taylor proactively requested additional counseling resources from Colgate's athletic director months before the plaintiff's mental health crisis.

Press Release Service provided by 24-7PressRelease.com.

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SOURCE Kathy Taylor