Missouri State men’s basketball coach Dana Ford was accused of groping a woman at a September golf tournament and is part of an ongoing criminal investigation in Polk County.

An incident report obtained from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office indicates Ford is under investigation for sexual misconduct. No criminal charges have been filed.

In a statement Thursday evening through his attorney Joe Passanise, Ford said the allegations were untrue, adding that he was paired with other participants during the golf tournament who did not corroborate the woman's account of what happened.

Missouri State said in a statement to the News-Leader that it was made aware of the allegations against Ford in September.

"We have taken these allegations seriously," the statement said. "Given the nature of the allegations, they were immediately assigned to the university's Office for Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) for investigation. Following an initial investigation, the claims were unsubstantiated based on available evidence. The university has no further comment at this time."

The accuser and her boyfriend, two recent Missouri State graduates, recently spoke to the News-Leader on the condition of anonymity. It is in the News-Leader’s policy to not name victims of sexual assault if they do not wish to be publicly identified.

The woman said the event took place at Silo Ridge Golf & Country Club on Sept. 8 in Bolivar during the Cash Moore Foundation Tournament. Text messages and...

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