Univ. of Cincinnati sued by former football player

The University of Cincinnati (UC) is being sued by one of its own.

One of the school’s former football players filed suit after he was suspended from the school and football team after sexual assault allegations, that were eventually dropped due to lack of evidence, were brought against him in February of this year.

The accused student believed he had participated in a consensual sexual rendezvous with a female student; however, the morning following the encounter, the female reported to campus police that she had been sexually assaulted.

The accused, who has chosen to remain anonymous, claims he was unfairly treated by the school throughout the entire process.

The student’s attorney, Mike Allen, told the local CBS affiliate WKRC that no evidence was found in the investigation and the police did not file any charges, nor did a court indict the student.

"It's just a prescription for disaster in that my client’s due process rights are not protected in a situation like this,” Allen told WKRC. “They are more concerned at Cincinnati with appeasing the Title IX gods and the federal department of education, so they can get their federal money, than they are with ensuring the rights of young men accused of these offenses.”

The lawsuit against UC claims the school treats accused students as if they are guilty until proven innocent.

“No student who has been accused of serious sexual misconduct at UC has ever been exonerated. You can’t win,” Joshua Engel, who also represents the accused student, told WCPO.

The Vice President for Governmental Relations & University Communications for UC

Gregory Vehr told Campus Reform that the school makes every effort to follow all Department of Education requirements to resolve both sexual assault and other Title IX complaints.

“While law enforcement agencies can decline to prosecute a case, federal requirements mean universities must investigate sexual violence claims and must have follow-up processes,” Vehr said.

Vehr also said he could not answer any questions regarding the lawsuit, citing federal privacy law.

UC defines consent as, “verbal expression of a person’s willingness to participate in an act or event. Consent can be withdrawn at any time during an act or event.”

“As the father of five, both sons and daughters, all of whom have attended the university, I can state that our goal, as an educational institution, is what's best for all our students in terms of both safety and fairness, “ Vehr also said.

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