Elyria Sports Hall of Fame takes no action against Les Miles

Les Miles lost his job as coach of the University of Kansas football team.He didn't lose his spot in the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame.The Hall's executive committee and board of trustees discussed the situation April 26 after receiving an email requesting Miles be removed from the Hall after an investigation found "significant alleged misconduct" while he was coach at LSU. The Hall members decided no action should be taken."Decided that based on the fact that everything right now is accusations being made and nothing being done, no legal action is done, no trial, no issues," chairperson Wilbur Lewis said Friday. "It was dismissed and no further action would be taken," He said a vote wasn't taken and no one disapproved of the dismissal of the issue. There was no discussion of a statement condemning Miles."There was no legal action to be shown that was taken," Lewis said, reiterating the reason for keeping Miles as a member of the Hall. "If there was, it was sealed, you can't find out what it was or why it was, so you don't know the whole story."The board does not act upon accusations and issues like that. Otherwise no comment. You're innocent until proven guilty."Miles is one of the most famous enshrinees in the Hall. He has coached in the NFL and college and won a national championship as head coach of LSU, beating Ohio State on Jan. 8, 2008.Miles, 67, graduated in 1972 from Elyria High, where he starred as a two-way lineman, and was inducted into the Hall in 1990. Elyrian Vern Ripley started a petition and contacted the Hall calling for Miles to be removed. A pair of investigative reports into Miles' conduct while he was at LSU from 2005-16 were released in March. One chronicled "significant alleged misconduct" and concluded Miles attempted to sexualize the staff of students working for the football team, allegedly demanding "blondes with big boobs" and "pretty girls."In a separate internal report released by LSU, Miles was accused of texting female students, taking them to his condo alone, making them feel uncomfortable and, at least once, kissing a student and suggesting they go to a hotel after saying he could help her career. Law firm Taylor Porter investigated for LSU in 2013 and did not find Miles had sexual relationships with any of the women, but found his behavior inappropriate.Miles strongly denied kissing the girl, according to the report, and said he did nothing wrong. LSU ordered him to stop being alone with female student employees.He had been hired at Kansas in November 2018 and parted ways in March after reaching a settlement. Miles' attorney, Peter Ginsberg, continues to deny the allegations. The Hall was founded in 1971 and has inducted 235 individuals, 27 teams and 29 Distinguished Service Award winners. It has never expelled a member."The bottom line: The board took no action, thought no action was required," Lewis said.Contact Scott Petrak at 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @scottpetrak on Twitter.