4 Gopher Football Players Expelled, 2 Suspended In Sexual Assault Case
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The ten Gopher football players facing discipline over sexual assault allegations at the U of M learned the outcome of their appeals today.
Four players were expelled, two were suspended for a year and four were cleared by the student panel deciding their academic fate.
Two days of closed door hearings in front of a three-student panel determined if the punishment handed down by the University of Minnesota for 10 suspended Gopher football players would stand.
Sources tell WCCO the four players who were expelled were Ray Buford, KiAnte Hardin, Dior Johnson and Tamarion Johnson. Carlton Djam and Mark Williams will be suspended for a year. Djam was facing explusion.
Lee Hutton, the attorney for nine of the accused players, said in a statement: "The [remaining] student-athletes are very disappointed by the panel's rulings and are exploring their options in consultation with their families."
Four other players, Seth Green, Kobe McCrary, Antonio Shenault and Antoine Winfield Jr. were cleared. McCrary reacted on Twitter to the news:
Their attorney said they were pleased to be vindicated by the rulings, and that the allegations against them were unwarranted.
The case began in September when a female student reported she was sexually attacked by several men in an off-campus apartment. The allegations ranged from those who had sexual contact with her to those who witnessed and encouraged it.
The case eventually led to the firing of head coach Tracy Claeys, who tweeted support for his team when the players announced a temporary boycott after the ten players were suspended.
The case doesn't end here. Everyone involved has five days to notify the University if they will appeal the decision. A University of Minnesota spokesperson said it can't comment at this point because of privacy laws.
