A July civil lawsuit accuses Duke football staffer Ranier Rackley of sexually abusing a minor while he was working in the Wake County school system.
Rackley, who is Duke football’s director of player development, joined Duke Athletics in April after spending time in Wake County schools beginning in August 2017. His status at the university was not immediately clear Friday. Rackley’s email indicates he is out of office, and Duke Athletics did not respond in time to a request for comment.
The Raleigh News & Observer first reported the lawsuit Friday morning.
“Mr. Rackley denies the allegations asserted in the complaint,” Forrest Fallanca, Rackley’s attorney, told The News & Observer.
“He respects the legal process and looks forward to addressing the claims in court. He remains devoted to his family and community and appreciates the support he has received.”
The suit centers on Rackley’s time at Rolesville High School, where he worked as a teacher and head coach of the football team. It alleges that in November 2025, he inappropriately touched a female ninth-grade student identified as “Jane Doe.”
According to the complaint, Rackley “reached inside Plaintiff’s shirt and groped and grabbed Plaintiff’s breasts.” The lawsuit further claims that when Doe attempted to move toward the front of the classroom, Rackley picked her up “and groped her buttocks, lifted Plaintiff’s shirt to expose her breasts, and again touched and groped her breasts.”
The complaint says Doe later transferred schools because of the incident.
Rackley is not facing criminal charges connected to the allegations. The plaintiff is seeking more than $25,000 in compensatory damages and is also asking a jury to award punitive damages.
Michael Hyland, director of media relations for Wake County Public School System, said Rackley left his teaching and coaching duties on Nov. 18, 2025, and remained on pay until his resignation took effect on June 15. Neither Hyland nor Duke Athletics responded to questions about whether the university knew of the allegations before hiring Rackley.
The lawsuit also names the Wake County Board of Education, saying it was negligent and failed to supervise Rackley after the allegations were reported.
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