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Philadelphia police and Temple University investigating hidden-camera allegation against Owls assistant football coach

"The university is aware of the allegations made on social media," Temple said in a statement. "... we will review and investigate these claims in accordance with university policy."

File photo of Temple University “T” logo flags on North Broad Street on the campus in March.
File photo of Temple University “T” logo flags on North Broad Street on the campus in March.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer
    by Robert Moran
    Updated 
    Published 

Philadelphia police and Temple University on Friday said they are investigating allegations posted on social media about a woman who claimed she discovered hidden cameras inside the home of an Owls assistant football coach while working as a dog sitter for him.

“The university is aware of the allegations made on social media regarding Coach [Antoine] Smith,” Temple University said in an emailed statement. “The university does not publicly discuss personnel matters; however, we will review and investigate these claims in accordance with university policy.”

A Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson said in an email that “there is an existing, open investigation at [the Special Victims Unit] into these allegations.” The department did not identify the parties involved because no charges have been filed, the spokesperson added.

Antoine Smith is listed as an assistant head coach and defensive line coach on Temple’s official athletics website.

Smith could not be reached for comment Friday.

The allegations were posted on WatchOutPhilly, an Instagram account dedicated to safety concerns of women in Philadelphia.

The woman who made the allegations was not identified. She described finding hidden cameras in Smith’s home while working as a dog sitter and said that she went to police.

The Instagram account also posted allegations from a second woman, also unidentified, who mentions knowing about a camera in Smith’s home, but she did not describe going to the police.

On Friday night, Philadelphia attorney Amanda Jonas Lorentson said her firm, McEldrew Purtell, is representing the two women in the Instagram posts as well as others and her firm is actively investigating the claims.