Duke football Director of Player Development Ranier Rackley is not currently working with the team as he is facing civil allegations of sexually abusing a student in 2025 while teaching at Rolesvlle High School.
Rackley joined the Blue Devils staff in April 2026 after spending more than nine years at Rolesvile High School.
Duke athletics released a statement regarding Rackley's status with the team on Friday.
“Ranier Rackley is not currently working with the team,” the statement read. “This is a confidential personnel matter, and we cannot comment any further.”
According to the lawsuit, which was originally filed in Wake County in July, Rainer is accused of groping and grabbing a female student in his classroom on Nov. 14, 2025. The student was in ninth grade at the time.
"Defendant Rackley reached inside Plaintiff's shirt and groped and grabbed Plaintiff's breasts," the lawsuit reads.
"Immediately after enduring this First Act of Abuse, as Plaintiff attempted to walk to the front of the classroom, Defendant Rackley physically lifted Plaintiff off the ground, grabbed and groped her buttocks, lifted Plaintiffs shirt to expose her breasts, and again touched and groped her breasts."
The lawsuit also states that Rackley "was known around Rolesville High School to be overly affectionate and touchy with other female students."
The plaintiff, which transferred schools because of the incident, seeks more than $25,000 in compensatory damages. The lawsuit is also seeking punitive damages against Rackley "in an amount sufficient to punishDefendant Rackley for his willful, wanton and egregious acts and to deter Defendant Rackley andothers from similar willful, wanton and egregious conduct."
Rackley was the head coach at Rolesville High School for three seasons (2023-25). Before that, he served at the JV head coach and running backs coach at Rolesville from 2020-22. Between 2017-19, he was the JV head coach and running backs coach at Leesville Road High School.
Rackley is a native of Jacksonville, Florida and played college football at Elizabeth City State University between 2009-11.
Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at asnyder@usatodayco.com or follow her @annaesnydr on X.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke football staffer Ranier Rackley not with team amid sexual abuse lawsuit