FIU Player Destini Feagin Accuses Head Coach Marlin Chinn Of Sexual Misconduct

Destini Feagin is the captain of Florida International’s women’s basketball team and has accused the team’s coach of inappropriately pursuing a sexual relationship with her for most of this season. Marlin Chinn is in his first year as FIU’s head women’s basketball coach after spending six years as an assistant at Maryland. He has refused to comment on the allegations.

Feagin told The Miami Herald that she reported Chinn to FIU’s athletics administration and filed an NCAA complaint. She has also admitted that she may have unknowingly participated in an NCAA violation, when Chinn loaned her $600 in December.

FIU’s athletics department held a mandatory meeting on Tuesday regarding sexual harassment, and Chinn was not present, though his assistant coaches were.

Feagin was removed from the team’s annual Senior Night ceremony on Friday, after reporting Chinn to FIU’s director of equal opportunity programs and diversity on Thursday afternoon. Chinn claimed Feagin missed Saturday’s game for “a violation of team policy” and that her return to the roster was “to be determined.” Feagin admitted to the violation – she borrowed a teammate’s “Panther Bucks” card to buy food when hers was empty, then her mother, Joi Nicholson, repaid the $350 she owed on Monday.

Feagin and Nicholson claim that Chinn suspended Feagin four games as punishment for resisting his advances.

Feagin told The Herald the following:

"I noticed he had a sexual attraction for me when he started saying perverted things to me. Commenting on my looks, my body, frame, my breasts, my behind. The way I smile. He would go into detail what his sexual thoughts were. He didn’t come out and say what his intentions were at first, but he gave me hints. He said little things that alerted me. Then, he came out and told me how he felt about me."

She also showed The Herald texts from Chinn, like the following:

"I want you to have so much more to offer ANYONE that wants to be a part of u after they get pass how good ur face and body looks!!!"

Well, at the very least he’s a charmer…

Feagin’s claims were backed up by teammate Jade Cheek in an email to The Herald:

"My teammate Destini Feagin is in a situation where it seems our head coach is trying to pursue a sexual relationship/encounter with her. … I have caught him countless of times staring at Destini even before any of this happened. As a player I do not trust him anymore because I wouldn’t want a coach to do this to me. Other teammates and I have noticed this from coach and how he looks at her."

Feagin recorded a conversation with Chinn on her iPhone, and she claims she thought he knew he was being recorded (both parties must be aware a conversation is being recorded under Florida law). She shared the recording with The Herald and Chinn can reportedly be heard clearly saying the following:

"Married. Kid on the way. Attracted to a woman I have, No. 1, no business being with because I’m coaching her. I’m putting everything on the line because of how I feel about you."

Later he told Feagin:

"When you decide that we lay down together, I want you to want it more than I do. And I’m not going to force you to do that. But that’s how I’ve always been. I’m not going to push you."

I’d say that’s pretty damming evidence.