LOS ANGELES, CA. (THECOUNT) — Luke Walton has hired lawyer Mark Baute in his sexual battery case and through his new attorney coach is accusing his accuser of being a lying “opportunist.”
Kelli Tennant is suing the former Lakers coach and newly minted Sacramento Kings head coach, claiming he sexually assaulted her back when he was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors.
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“Luke Walton retained me to defend him against these baseless allegations,” Baute said.
“The accuser is an opportunist, not a victim, & her claim is not credible. We intend to prove this in a courtroom,” source TMZ.
Tennant was identified as the woman accusing former Lakers coach Walton of sexual assault.
According to court documents obtained by ABC7 on Monday, plaintiff Tennant filed a complaint against Walton for damages including sexual battery, gender violence, violation of the Ralph Act and sexual assault.
Walton was the former head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s now the head coach for the Sacramento Kings. The Kings issued a statement saying: “We are aware of the report and are gathering additional information. We have no further comment at this time.”
In the suit, Tennant says when she arrived at Walton’s hotel, he convinced her to come up to his room so they could “catch up.” She claims when they got up to his room, Walton suddenly pinned her to the bed, placing his hips and legs over her body, reports TMZ.
The Lakers also issued a statement. The team said the alleged incident happened before he was coach for the team.
“This alleged incident took place before Luke Walton was the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. At no time before or during his employment here was this allegation reported to the Lakers. If it had been, we would have immediately commenced an investigation and notified the NBA. Since Luke Walton is now under contract to another team, we will have no further comment.”
Now, Walton has hired attorney Mark Baute, who issued a fiery statement slamming Tennant’s allegations.
“Luke Walton retained me to defend him against these baseless allegations,” Baute said.
“The accuser is an opportunist, not a victim, & her claim is not credible. We intend to prove this in a courtroom.”
In the suit, Tennant says Walton tried to force himself on her in a hotel room — but she was able to escape.
The Warriors say they had no knowledge of the alleged incident during Walton’s employment. Same with the Lakers and the Kings.