A longtime HBCU basketball coach abruptly resigned earlier in October amid allegations of player abuse.
According to a news release, Shaw University Coach Jacques Curtis stepped down after 24 seasons with the women’s basketball team. He holds the most wins in the program’s history, with over 400 victories.
Curtis led the Lady Bears to nine CIAA Championships and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, as well as to their victory in the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship, the first in the school’s history.
Despite nearly three decades with the team, Curtis faces accusations from former and current players of mental and physical abuse, as well as inappropriate behavior.
Shaw University student recounts experience on the Lady Bears team
His sudden resignation comes months after Shaw University student and Lady Bears guard Kiara Shepherd posted a video on TikTok in April, detailing her alleged experience with Curtis while on the team, WRAL reported.
Shepherd said she posted the video on TikTok after filing a complaint with the institution and receiving no response. She said she filed the complaint in February but has received no follow-up since.
“All I’m trying to do is bring awareness,” Shepherd says in the video, per WRAL. “[I] already went to the school, [and] went to HR [human resources] [to] try to pinpoint and get in contact with who I need to contact.”
“The school’s not doing nothing about it. So, I really had no choice but bring it onto social media, which I really didn’t want to do,” she adds.
When did Shepherd leave the women’s basketball team?
In the video, Shepherd alleges that she was kicked off the team after having an uncomfortable interaction with a man from the women’s basketball team.
“I’m really uncomfortable because, like, why are you touching me?” Shepherd says in the video.
Shepherd played 19 games during the 2024-2025 season, WRAL reported. Her last game was Feb. 17 at Virginia Union. She played in two other games following that one on Feb. 21 and Feb. 25.
In the comments section of Shepherd’s post, which was shared with her nearly 82,000 followers, other former players alleged that they had similar experiences.
Several former players and staffers speak out amid abuse allegations
“I’m really glad that she put that video out there because it really opened a lot of doors for everybody that had something to say,” former Lady Bears player Desire Short told ABC 11. She played on the 2022-2023 team.
Another player, Alliyah Chaplin, said the treatment led to other players leaving the team.
“There is no reason why the same thing is being said over and over again, year after year, with the same, with different teams. The roster is almost clear every single year. Everybody is leaving. Everybody is transferring,” Chaplin said.
While players shared their alleged experiences, former staffers also opened up about the alleged abuse they endured on the Lady Bears.
“I just witnessed, like, emotional abuse, yelling for no reason, and just, like, mistreatment,” Frantaisa Springs, who said she served as a team manager during the 2018-2019 season, told ABC 11.
“I’m glad everybody’s speaking up about it because if you’re not going to speak out about it, it’s just going to keep going on and on and on,” she added.
The school issued a statement after the allegations had circulated on social media: “Shaw University is aware of recent allegations that have surfaced online,” the university said in a statement released Thursday. “The university takes any allegations of misconduct seriously. The university has no further comment at this time,” the statement reads.
Following Curtis’ departure, Shaw University hired interim head coach Lou Hamilton, who has extensive experience coaching several other HBCU basketball teams, per the news release.
The institution will continue to search for a permanent head coach at the end of the 2025-2026 season.