Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia strongly denies 1996 sex assault allegation
ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia maintained his innocence and his new team said it supported him after a 1996 sexual assault allegation resurfaced Wednesday night. The Detroit News reported that Patricia and a friend were indicted 22 years ago by a Texas grand jury on one count each of aggravated sexual assault for an alleged incident involving a woman on South Padre Island during Spring Break. The accuser did not testify and the case was dismissed 10 months later.
The Lions confirmed in a statement that "a criminal charge involving sexual assault was brought against Matt Patricia in 1996. Matt was 21 at the time."
"As someone who was falsely accused of this very serious charge over 22 years ago, and never given the opportunity to defend myself and clear my name, I find it incredibly unfair, disappointing, and frustrating that this story would resurface now with the only purpose being to damage my character and reputation," Patricia said in a statement issued by the Lions. "I firmly maintain my innocence, as I have always done.
""I would never condone any of the behavior that was alleged and will always respect and protect the rights of anyone who has been harassed or is the victim of violence. My priorities remain the same – to move forward and strive to be the best coach, teacher, and man that I can possibly be."
The Lions hired Patricia after last season to replace Jim Caldwell as coach. He had previously been an assistant with the New England Patriots.
The Lions said a "standard pre-employment background check" did not turn up the incident. But the team said it was standing by Patricia.
"We have spoken to Coach Patricia about this at length as well as the attorney who represented him at the time," the Lions said in a statement attributed to owner Martha Firestone Ford, general manager Bob Quinn and president Rod Wood. "Based upon everything we have learned, we believe and have accepted Coach Patricia's explanation and we will continue to support him."
The newspaper quotes Wood as saying, "I am very comfortable with the process of interviewing and employing Matt," Wood said. "I will tell you with 1,000-percent certainty that everything I've learned confirmed what I already knew about the man and would have no way changed our decision to make him our head coach."
The News says the accuser was a 21-year-old college student at a large university. She told police two men burst into the hotel room where she was sleeping and, as the newspaper puts it, "took turns violently sexually assaulting her." The News cites court records and a news account from the time. It says the man indicted along with Patricia was a frat brother at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York. Both were football players. His friend was captain of the RPI team, identified by the News as Greg Dietrich, 22 at the time.
Patricia's defense lawyer told the News that, in his opinion, "the assault never happened."
According to the News, court records show the woman chose not to testify due to the stress a trial would have subjected her to.
