Lithuanian women’s basketball team coach steps down amid harassment accusations

Rimantas Grigas has resigned as the head coach of the Lithuanian national women’s basketball team amid an ongoing investigation into his suspected harassment and inappropriate behaviour towards team players, the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF) said on Sunday, having earlier launched the probe.

“I don’t want to make excuses and I don’t have any reason to do it. I don’t feel like a criminal, but I don’t see any possibility to continue my work because of the public accusations against me. I am resigning with confidence to protect the reputation of basketball and the LKF values, and I have trust in an objective and impartial investigation,” Grigas was quoted in a post on the LKF’s Facebook page on Sunday.

As BNS reported earlier, the LKF launched the investigation into alleged harassment and inappropriate behaviour by Grigas after the 15min.lt news website reported about the coach’s alleged abusive actions towards the players.

In the report, several members of the national team and a representative of the Kibirkštis Vilnius club spoke about the coach’s harassment or its manifestations but refused to disclose their names, fearing for their safety and possible impact on their careers.

Grigas has been in charge of the women’s national team since 2021. Last week, the Lithuanian team qualified for the European Championships that will take place this summer. The last time the team played in the championships was in 2015.

Later on Monday, the LKF said it had concluded the investigation into alleged inappropriate behaviour by Grigas and found no signs of sexual harassment in his actions.

However, the federation’s Disciplinary, Ethics and Appeals Commission unanimously issued a warning to Grigas for possible breaches related to communication with players and the organisation of the coach’s work.

Following this incident, the LKF says it will take active measures to foster a safe and respectful environment in basketball by organising a series of seminars on creating an inclusive culture for the basketball community.