California school hired a coach, but police say he moonlighted as a pimp

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The men’s basketball team at California State University, Bakersfield, currently at the bottom of the Big West Conference, might not be a powerhouse in sports, but it’s certainly making headlines for a different kind of competition: scandal.

The athletic division at Cal State Bakersfield has been in turmoil since August 29. That’s when Rod Barnes, then head coach for men’s basketball, received an anonymous email claiming his provisional assistant coach, Kevin Mays, was operating as a pimp across four states. A cascade of lawsuits, internal inquiries, staff terminations, and blame-shifting has only intensified the department’s turbulent atmosphere.

The anonymous sender specified a woman whom Mays was accused of trafficking for several months.

“RESOLVE THIS OR THE ENTIRE STAFF WILL FACE CONSEQUENCES,” the tipster wrote emphatically, calling it both a “first and final warning.”

Barnes promptly sent the anonymous message to the university’s human resources department. They, in turn, passed it to university police, initiating an investigation that ultimately resulted in criminal charges being filed against Mays.

Currently detained without bail, Mays is confronted with a substantial list of 11 criminal and misdemeanor counts, including felony offenses like pimping. Additional charges include possessing automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines, as well as methamphetamine and marijuana with intent to distribute. He also faces distinct accusations related to possessing over 600 images of child pornography and distributing obscene material involving a minor under 18.

Mays has entered a not-guilty plea for all allegations. His legal counsel, David Torres, chose not to comment when approached by ESPN.

Sally Selby, the public affairs and communications manager for the Bakersfield Police Department, informed ESPN that investigators continue to conduct further interviews “to ascertain if additional victims or relevant charges exist” in Mays’ ongoing case.

In the wake of this case’s impact on Cal State Bakersfield, the university disclosed in September that both Barnes and athletic director Kyle Conder were no longer in their positions. Barnes concluded a 14-year tenure as head basketball coach, during which he guided the team to an NCAA tournament and an NIT tournament. The institution offered no explanation for their exits, and neither Conder nor Barnes responded to ESPN’s interview requests.

In a campus-wide email sent in September, interim athletic director Sarah Tuohy and university president Vernon Harper announced that national searches were underway to find replacements for Barnes and Conder.

Jennifer Self, Cal State Bakersfield’s senior director of strategic communications, communicated via email to ESPN that the accusations against Mays were “profoundly troubling.” She noted that despite the allegations not directly involving a student, the university engaged a local human trafficking expert and provided awareness and educational programs on campus.

Self further stated, “We also saw this as a chance to conduct a wider review of our athletic program,” mentioning that the university established a commission to undertake a thorough evaluation of the athletic department and suggest “organizational and management adjustments” to better synchronize the program with the university’s “objectives and principles.”

Within the Bakersfield campus basketball arena, situated in California’s Central Valley industrial plains, Barnes was observed in December in the bleachers behind the Roadrunners’ bench, witnessing his former team’s defeat to North Dakota State. He refused to comment when ESPN approached him following the match.

Barnes was reportedly surprised by the anonymous message detailing Mays’ alleged pimping, as per police records from an interview with him. Mays assumed the role of temporary assistant coach in June, earning a monthly salary just exceeding $3,000, according to university documents acquired by ESPN.

MAYS HAD COMPETED for the university from 2014 to 2016. In May 2016, The Runner, the student newspaper, reported Mays’ intentions to pursue professional basketball in France or Italy. Subsequently, he became a player-development coordinator within the athletic department, based on university documents.

According to school files, Mays’ 2019 job application stated his motivations were basketball, fostering teamwork, and assisting young men.

Mays penned, “I acquired significant experience in leading young men and guiding them through a successful Division I journey. CSUB greatly assisted me, and I aspire to reciprocate.”

Before Mays’ hiring, the university performed a criminal background check which revealed no issues, as stated in an October email from university president Harper.

However, the anonymous email sent to Barnes, explicitly labeled “IMPORTANT MESSAGE 911 911,” signaled grave issues.

Police records show the email stated, “HE IS TRAFFICKING A GIRL BY THE NAME OF [redacted].” It continued, “HE HAS BEEN TRAFFICKING THIS GIRL SINCE MAY,” identifying Las Vegas, Oregon, Washington, and California as the alleged areas of operation.

On September 3, university police attempted to reach the sender for further details. In a follow-up email, the informant asserted familiarity with both the purported victim and Mays, acquired through prior travel related to sex work. The email’s content implied the sender was also a sex worker.

The second email claimed Mays had informed the tipster he was a professional gambler and had reportedly threatened to remove the tipster’s child if his actions were revealed. The sender additionally furnished police with the alleged victim’s phone number and mentioned her prior arrest in Oregon for a DUI, occurring in a vehicle supplied by Mays.

Subsequent police reports indicated Mays had rented the vehicle, with investigators discovering the rental agreement utilized the university’s Enterprise car rental account at Bakersfield’s airport. Police withheld sharing the contract copy, citing an ongoing investigation. The September 4 police report detailed the sex worker’s use of the car for her activities.

An Enterprise clerk, along with another seemingly higher-ranking individual whose name is withheld, verified to investigators that the vehicle was linked to a university contract. The latter individual informed police that “only MAYS and other CSUB staff were permitted to drive the vehicle,” according to the report.

Should these police findings be substantiated, it would suggest that a state-managed account facilitated Mays’ purported human trafficking enterprise.

When ESPN requested Mays’ financial records, the university responded that Mays “has not received payments or reimbursements from the campus during his employment, beyond his salary.” Self, the university’s public information officer, explained to ESPN that university staff receive “discounted” rates at Enterprise. She further clarified that the university holds “no records of Enterprise invoices paid by CSU Bakersfield listing Kevin Mays as the renter.”

Based on Kern County court documents secured by ESPN, university police concluded that no alleged victims were associated with Cal State Bakersfield’s staff or student population. The university police then sent the emails to the Bakersfield Police Department, which corroborated the tipster’s assertion and identified the alleged victim as 23 years old.

Bakersfield police also located a sex advertisement published by the purported victim in Sacramento, California. The listing indicated the woman operated “autonomously” and was available for roles ranging from “party companion” to a “casual girlfriend.”

The advertisement stated, “I can transform into precisely the woman you desire and require. … I provide everything. If you’re prepared for an unforgettable experience, I’m eager to create memories with you xoxo.”

On September 4, Sacramento police conducted a sting operation, arranging a “date” with the alleged victim at a Sacramento hotel room later confirmed to have been rented by Mays. Her pricing, as per the police report, was $300 for thirty minutes and $500 for a full hour.

Following the sting operation, the woman, when questioned by police, identified Mays as her “boyfriend.” She stated that Mays “regularly defrayed the expenses” for rental cars, lodging, and flights associated with her sex work travel. The report further mentioned that police observed text message exchanges between them, demonstrating Mays’ “engagement and oversight” of the alleged victim’s sex work.

Soon after his apprehension and processing, Mays disavowed any participation in prostitution, informing police that his girlfriend had his rental car. A police search of Mays’ vehicle and residence uncovered several firearms, including automatic rifles, and a substantial amount of drugs, according to the documents. With a warrant, police then searched his phone, uncovering nearly 600 images of child pornography, some portraying children as young as four.

While the accusations surrounding the Cal State Bakersfield basketball program were alarming, a distinct issue involving the school’s softball team was also unfolding. This came to light when a softball player shared allegations on TikTok, claiming verbal, sexual, and physical harassment by softball coaches Leticia Olivarez and James Davenport.

The intricate, often obscure network of personal relationships between athletic personnel and student-athletes highlighted an environment of disorder. Inappropriate conduct either escaped detection or remained unaddressed by leadership until a major public scandal was imminent.

Mays was not the sole individual under examination. A university investigation report from June 2025 explored allegations against Davenport, including illegal weapons deals, brandishing a gun at a student in a video, engaging in an improper relationship with a student, and openly discussing potentially criminal, violent acts against the institution.

Lori A. Blodorn, the university’s vice president of people and culture, led the inquiry. She determined that the claims against Davenport were sufficiently corroborated to justify his dismissal. “What started as a seemingly direct accusation and an evaluation of how we safeguard coach and team security, eventually evolved into a convoluted investigation involving numerous claims by Mr. Davenport and against Mr. Davenport, primarily from a [redacted] softball student athlete,” Blodorn detailed in her findings.

Her report concluded, “My investigation reveals the following: Davenport engaged in unprofessional, immoral behavior and dishonesty while attempting to broker illegal weapon sales.” She further noted his dishonesty when questioned about displaying a gun during an online conversation with a student. Blodorn then listed four additional conclusions, which, she asserted, were supported by a “preponderance of evidence” and warranted his termination.

Prior to this, Davenport had submitted his own complaint to the university, alleging he was a target of workplace violence.

THE UNIVERSITY DISCLOSED the immediate termination of then-athletic director Conder on September 8, just days after Mays’ arrest. However, Conder subsequently asserted in a lawsuit against the institution that his dismissal occurred in August – prior to the anonymous tip to Barnes, but after Conder claimed to have identified “potential offenses and improprieties” within the university.

Conder’s legal action alleges he attempted to alert the administration to illicit dealings within the athletic department. He contended that his termination was in reprisal for his whistleblowing efforts.

The lawsuit further states that the university’s investigation lacked sufficient evidence to validate the player’s accusations against the softball coaches for their dismissal. Davenport’s contract concluded in May 2025, while Olivarez is still on paid administrative leave with her contract expiring in May of the current year. The accusing player has since departed from Cal State Bakersfield, and the relevant TikTok videos have been removed.

Self, the university’s spokesperson, asserted that school authorities “emphatically reject the assertions” put forth by Conder. As defendants, they plan to “contest the legal adequacy of specific elements of Conder’s complaint.” She also noted the university’s openness to “dispute resolution talks to minimize disruption to the campus community and ongoing university functions.”

In a separate action, two anonymous softball players initiated a lawsuit against the university and Davenport last year. Their complaint asserted that Conder “demonstrated a pattern … of failing to act upon complaints lodged against Coach Mays.”

The university has since rejected the entirety of the complaint and petitioned the court for its dismissal, as per court documents. Davenport, in his legal submission, similarly denied all accusations made against him. His attorney did not reply to a request for comment.

Conder, in his personal lawsuit, alleges the university used him as a “convenient scapegoat” to deflect attention from the players’ lawsuit and the embarrassment linked to Mays. He highlighted that his termination was announced days after Mays’ arrest, giving the impression it was “directly connected to the developing scandal.”

Conder’s claim states, “The plaintiff’s termination was carried out summarily, entirely devoid of due process.” … “In truth, the plaintiff’s dismissal stemmed from retaliation and ineptitude.”

Mays is still incarcerated, awaiting his trial. The preliminary hearing for his cases, initially slated for October 30, 2025, has been rescheduled to March 13. A representative from the Kern County District Attorney’s Office, responsible for prosecuting the case, refused to comment to ESPN “to safeguard the integrity of the ongoing legal proceedings.”

The unfolding drama within Cal State Bakersfield’s athletic department has captured student interest, though some expressed little surprise.

Student Seth Tolleson commented, “We often quip in Bakersfield that we only gain notoriety for negative events, as such incidents truly stand out.” He further mentioned that a scandal of this nature was not what he anticipated upon transferring from a nearby junior college. “It’s always all or nothing.”