Latest news with #Liles
Cision Canada
14-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
SPIRE Academy Taps NBA, NFL, and UFC Alumni to Lead Its Next Chapter of Commercialization and Player Partnerships
New Hires Bring Emmy-Winning Talent, Major League Experience, and NIL Fluency to Drive SPIRE's Brand Forward GENEVA, Ohio and HARPERSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Ohio, May 14, 2025 /CNW/ - SPIRE Academy, a premier multisport boarding school and athletic training institution, has added three nationally recognized leaders to its executive team. These hires reflect SPIRE's focused strategy to strengthen brand partnerships, expand media operations, and deliver athlete development programs aligned with today's NIL-driven sports landscape. Adam Taylor – Head of Content and Media Taylor joins SPIRE from the PGA TOUR, where he served as Senior Director of Original Content and Production. An Emmy-winning and multiple Emmy-nominated producer, and a member of the Directors Guild of America, Taylor brings a wealth of experience from leadership roles at the NFL, UFC, and Disney. His work spans global media platform development, end-to-end content production across platforms, and audience engagement at scale. "This is about more than producing content," said Taylor. "It's about building a brand that can stand alongside the biggest names in youth sports. We have the people, the platform, and the permission to tell stories that matter." Taylor will oversee SPIRE's storytelling, content strategy, production, and media partnerships. "Adam's leadership and media vision give us a powerful advantage," said Steve Sanders, CEO of SPIRE Academy. "He brings the experience and instincts to position SPIRE not just as a school, but as a cultural brand in youth sports." Amy Liles – Head of Partnerships and Tournaments Liles, most recently with the Hall of Fame Village, brings more than 20 years of experience structuring partnerships for leading sports and real estate development brands, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Andretti Autosport, and Redwood Living. She has negotiated over $100 million in sponsorships with companies such as Coca-Cola, Marriott, Budweiser, Porsche, and The Cleveland Clinic. "We are building long-term value by creating partnerships that serve student-athletes and brands equally," said Liles. "SPIRE offers the kind of authentic, high-engagement environment sponsors are looking for." "Amy understands how to merge brand strategy with immersive experiences and real ROI," said Sanders. "Her approach will help us scale SPIRE's tournament footprint and deepen our commercial relationships." Matt Cohen – Assistant Athletic Director and General Manager Cohen comes to SPIRE from Montverde Academy's Center for Basketball Development, where he worked alongside Hall of Fame coach Kevin Boyle, who was named SPIRE's Director of Basketball and National High School Head Coach in March. A former NBA league office staffer, Cohen has hands-on experience across NIL compliance, recruiting strategy, and player development. "Our athletes need more than training," said Cohen. "They need access, structure, and real opportunities. We're building the bridge that connects what happens on the court to what's possible off it." "Matt has the instincts and experience to make NIL actionable at the high school level," added Sanders. "He connects the brand, the content, and the athlete, bringing it all together in a way no one else in our space is doing." Setting a New Standard This is the first time a high school institution has assembled a leadership team of this caliber to drive a unified strategy across partnerships, media, and athlete marketing. Each executive brings proven success from the professional ranks, now applied to an elite youth development model. "These leaders represent a major step forward in how SPIRE operates," said Sanders. "Adam, Amy, and Matt bring not only talent to our team, but also increase our credibility, reach, and scale as we build an academy business aligned with the future of sports." To learn more about SPIRE Academy and its programs, visit About SPIRE Academy: SPIRE Academy is a comprehensive academic, athletic, personal skills and college-and-career development boarding school located in a world-class event and wellness complex in Ohio's Harpersfield Township. Constructed on 750 acres under 850,000 square feet of roof, SPIRE Academy ( has five divisions: (1) SPIRE Academy & Camps, an accredited college-preparatory international boarding school and multi-sport/specialty training and development academy for grades 9-12 and post-grads; (2) SPIRE Leagues, Clubs & Professional Teams, including SPIRE Academy affiliated leagues and club programs; (3) SPIRE Events, a facility and associated team that host local, national and international tournaments and events with the NCAA, the Big East, Big Ten, Atlantic 10 conferences, the Olympics and world championship qualifiers; (4) SPIRE Institute, the research and development arm of SPIRE Academy, studying performance improvement across multiple disciplines through corporate affiliations and university relationships; and finally (5) SPIRE Fit, a membership-based fitness, swim, personal training and health center open to the community. Sports currently featured at SPIRE Academy include men's and women's basketball, esports, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, track and field, volleyball and wrestling.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kevin Liles Believes Rape Lawsuit Should Be Dismissed Due To Legal Technicality
Kevin Liles got caught up in the slew of sexual assault lawsuits earlier this year after a former employee sued him for rape. The 57-year-old executive is now hoping to get the case thrown out due to a legal technicality. His former employee, who worked at Def Jam and served as an executive assistant to the general manager, claims he began harassing her in 2000. Allegedly, in 2002, he forced himself on top of her and raped her, despite her denying his sexual advances. She formally pursued litigation in February of this year, but Liles believes he had a strong counter. TMZ reported that the former 300 Entertainment CEO has requested permission to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, as he feels that the alleged crime is past the statute of limitations; in New York, where the lawsuit was filed, the statute of limitations is non-existent for first-degree rape, 20 years for second-degree, and 10 years for third-degree. Additionally, he claims that the allegations are 'entirely false' and that the unnamed former employee has not provided sufficient details for the case to move forward. Def Jam and Universal Music Group have been named defendants in the lawsuit, as well. The alleged victim claims that they 'not only knew or should have known' about Liles' proclivity to engage in criminal activity, but they also allegedly enabled him to do so. 'I absolutely deny the outrageous claims reported in the press this evening,' Liles told TMZ when the allegations first came out. 'I wish I could share a more detailed response to this slander, but this is the first I've heard of this claim and the anonymous accuser's attorney shared the lawsuit with gossip influencers and media outlets before it was even posted by the court, so my attorneys and I have not seen the actual lawsuit.' Liles reflected on his '40 years of service to our culture' and how he has 'intentionally built a reputation for doing things the right way, treating people the right way, and empowering women.' The woman's attorney, Lucas B. Franken, believes that this lawsuit will only catalyze more women to come forward with allegations against the former Warner Music Group vice president. More from Drake Celebrates Judge Rejecting UMG's Attempt To Delay "Not Like Us" Legal Proceedings Diddy Assault Lawsuit Dismissed After Alleged Victim Refused To Publicly Identify Herself Joe Budden Sued By Neighbors For Lewdness, Excessive Noise, Smoking, And More
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Def Jam President Kevin Liles Wants Sexual Assault Lawsuit Dismissed: ‘Entirely False'
Former Def Jam President Kevin Liles says the sexual assault allegations leveled against him by a Jane Doe plaintiff are 'patently false' and asked the court for permission to file a motion to permanently dismiss the woman's lawsuit. In a letter to a federal judge filed Tuesday, Liles' lawyer says the Jane Doe claims Liles sexually harassed and assaulted her between 2000 and 2002, but 'offers zero factual bases for her salacious allegations.' The lawyer says the woman's complaint includes only 'threadbare assertions' without describing what Liles purportedly said to her in Universal Music Group's offices more than 20 years ago or what he did when she purportedly rebuffed his advances. More from Rolling Stone Wife of Weezer's Bassist Shot in Officer-Involved Shooting, Booked for Attempted Murder: Police The Jay-Z, Tony Buzbee Legal War Somehow Got Even Uglier Soulja Boy Accused of Lying, Wearing 'Fake Glasses' Amid $73 Million Sex Battery Case 'Plaintiff offers no detail whatsoever regarding the nature of the purported assault she suffered,' Liles' lawyer Krystal C. Durham says in the letter obtained by Rolling Stone. 'She alleges that at unspecified times, and in unspecified locations, during a two-year window – again, over twenty years ago – Mr. Liles sexually harassed and assault her. She fails, however, to explain when these purported acts occurred, where in UMG's offices they occurred, identify a single person she reported this information to, or who was present.' The lawyer claims the complaint is too deficient to survive because the woman further failed to give a date, location, or context for her 'serious' allegation that Liles forced himself on her. 'She, again, provides no detail regarding the purported event and submits only the bare conclusion that Mr. Liles's alleged conduct amounted to rape and sexual assault,' the lawyer wrote, claiming the Jane Doe 'neither reported to nor worked for' Liles. Durham wrote that Liles' proposed motion to dismiss also would challenge the Jane Doe's right to file her lawsuit under the two-year lookback window provided by New York City's Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law. Other defendants in similar cases have likewise challenged the GMVL, claiming New York's statewide Adult Survivors Act pre-empted any overlapping local laws and closed the revival window for good on any claims throughout the state when it expired in November 2023. Many lawsuits have survived similar challenges to the GMVL's revival window, but the issue of preemption is now the subject of at least one appeal in the Second Circuit. The judge overseeing the lawsuit against Liles did not immediately rule on his request for permission to seek dismissal. UMG Recordings, meanwhile, filed a similar letter Tuesday asking for leave to file its own dismissal motion. The company's lawyers argued that UMGR is 'a music company, and the alleged conduct was indisputably not in furtherance of any business of UMGR.' In her lawsuit, the Jane Doe alleged she was hired by the corporate defendants in 1999, with Liles acting as her supervisor. She alleged Liles sexually harassed her on numerous occasions during her tenure, including one time when Liles allegedly 'pressed his body against [her] breasts,' and 'grabbed [her] on the buttocks.' Shortly after Jane Doe filed her lawsuit, Liles vehemently denied the allegations. 'I absolutely deny the outrageous claims reported in the press this evening,' he said in a statement to Rolling Stone. 'After nearly 40 years of service to our culture, I've intentionally built a reputation for doing things the right way, treating people the right way, and empowering women. It is a shameful reality that these lies spread so freely. 'My attorneys and I will fully clear my name, and when we are successful, this anonymous accuser and her attorney will face a defamation lawsuit and every other available legal consequence.' After his time as president at Def Jam, Liles, 57, went on to become the co-founder and CEO of 300 Entertainment, a label whose artists include Young Thug, Gunna, Fetty Wap, and Mary J. Blige. Liles, who previously testified at a court hearing in an attempt to get Young Thug released on bond during the rapper's RICO prosecution in Atlanta, announced he was stepping down from 300 Entertainment last September. The Jane Doe behind the lawsuit claims UMGR and Def Jam should be held liable for her alleged abuse because they 'enabled, permitted, directed, controlled, approved, managed, operated and ratified the manner in which Liles engaged with employees.' She is asking for compensatory and punitive damages to be decided at trial. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kevin Liles And Def Jam Face Sexual Assault Lawsuit
Kevin Liles has been accused of sexual assault in a new lawsuit. According to Variety, Jane Doe claims that the former Def Jam president did so during her employment at the label in the early 2000s and has named Universal Music Group, Def Jam, and Liles as defendants. The lawsuit was filed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which was granted an amendment in 2022. It has allowed survivors with claims disregarded—due to the statute of limitations—to file suit before March 1, 2025. At the time of the alleged assault, Liles worked as President of Def Jam and EVP of Island Def Jam, two positions he held from 1999 through 2004. Doe alleges that she started working at Def Jam as an executive assistant to the general manager around 1999 and that Liles began sexually harassing her with 'derogatory and degrading comments based on her gender regarding her body and appearance.' She also claims that as she continued to work at the label, his menacing actions escalated, with Liles allegedly pushing his body against her breasts and grabbing her behind. The Jane Doe also details Liles allegedly raped her in 2002 after she refused his sexual advances, claiming UMG and Def Jam 'not only knew or should have known' of Liles' 'propensity to commit the aforementioned crimes of violence,' and enabled his behavior per Variety. 'We commend our client for her determination to seek justice for the sexual abuse she endured, as well as the sheer bravery it took to come forward against a well-known, celebrity figure,' shared Jane Doe's lawyer Lucas B. Franken, partner at Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC, with the outlet. 'In our lengthy experience defending sexual abuse victims, we have witnessed a common thread, and that is that they are often not alone in their abuse. Based on the violent and egregious conduct, we expect that others were also abused, and we hope that they can also come forward to share their experiences and pursue justice.' According to Rolling Stone, the window to file lawsuits for claims that would be expired under the statute of limitations closes on Saturday. 'I absolutely deny the outrageous claims reported in the press this evening,' Liles expressed in a statement sent to RS. 'After nearly 40 years of service to our culture, I've intentionally built a reputation for doing things the right way, treating people the right way, and empowering women. It is a shameful reality that these lies spread so freely.' He continued, 'My attorneys and I will fully clear my name, and when we are successful, this anonymous accuser and her attorney will face a defamation lawsuit and every other available legal consequence.' More from Nicki Minaj Makes Jokes About Atlantic Records' Massive Layoffs Kevin Liles Steps Down As CEO And Chairman Of 300 Entertainment Young Thug Names T.I., Kevin Liles, Ex-Girlfriend Jerricka In Extensive Witness List
Express Tribune
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Kevin Liles, former president of Def Jam, accused of sexual harassment
Kevin Liles former president of Def Jam, has been named in a sexual assault lawsuit filed by a Jane Doe, who alleges that he sexually assaulted her during her employment at Def Jam in the early 2000s. As per Variety, the suit filed in New York Supreme Court, accuses Liles of harassment and assault during his tenure as President of Def Jam and EVP of Island Def Jam from 1999 to 2004. The plaintiff, who worked as an executive assistant at the time, claims Liles began harassing her shortly after she started at Def Jam, making degrading comments about her body and appearance. According to the lawsuit, the harassment escalated between 2000 and 2002, with Liles allegedly engaging in physical contact such as pushing his body against her and grabbing her. In 2002, the plaintiff accuses Liles of forcibly raping her after she rejected his sexual advances. The lawsuit also names Universal Music Group (UMG) and Def Jam, claiming the companies were aware of Liles' behavior and failed to intervene. Liles has denied the allegations, calling them 'outrageous' and 'slanderous.' In a statement, he expressed his intention to clear his name, adding that his attorneys had not yet seen the lawsuit. Liles also criticized the timing of the suit, claiming the accuser's attorney shared the lawsuit with media outlets before it was filed in court. He emphasized his long-standing reputation for integrity and dedication to empowering women. The lawsuit was filed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which was amended in 2022 to allow survivors to pursue legal action even if the statute of limitations had expired. Liles' legal team has vowed to take action against the accuser and her attorney for defamation. Liles, who recently left his role as CEO of Warner Music's 3000 Elektra Entertainment, has previously been linked to high-profile artists such as D'Angelo, Young Thug, and Mariah Carey.
