Here is an interesting story out of Texas about two college men on the Texas Longhorns football team. The men have been questioned about their relation to a case of sexual assault, and if they are charged, they could lose more than just their scholarships. When you’re a student or adult playing professional sports, you could lose your spot on your team if you’re convicted of assault. You could also be fined or end up in prison. Even if you’re not found guilty or the accusations against you are dropped, your reputation could be ruined; it’s important to defend yourself early on.
In this case, no one knows yet which of the players may have been involved, but they were allegedly questioned by campus police as part of a sexual assault investigation involving three students. The assault allegedly took place on campus recently.
The school has cited federal privacy rules, according to The Statesman, and won’t release the names of the people involved in the incident or where it took place. The police spokesman reported that the safety of the students is their concern. It was a source close to the football program that reported two football players having been questioned by the campus police. It’s not clear if they are suspects.
The coach of the team has a strong belief that the men on the teams should respect women, and he has previously stated that those who violate one of the five core values — disrespect to women being one — will lose their scholarships. This newest report is the second in two years; in December 2012, a quarterback and linebacker were both indefinitely suspended by the previous coach Mack Brown for the allegations of sexual assault, despite neither player being charged.
Source: NBC Sport, “Report: two Longhorns part of sexual assault investigation” John Taylor, Jun. 21, 2014