EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Three former Michigan State football players accused of sexually assaulting a woman earlier this year have been dismissed from the university.
School spokesman Jason Cody said Thursday that Josh King, Donnie Corley Jr. and Demetric Vance were dismissed for violating the school’s relationship violence and sexual misconduct policy. The three were dismissed from the football team last month after criminal charges against them were made public .
King was charged with first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct and with distributing an image of an unclothed person. Vance and Corley face third-degree criminal sexual conduct charges.
The university also conducted a Title IX investigation. Attorney Shannon Smith, who represents King, described that investigation as a rush to judgment.
“After Josh was dismissed, my office received all of the discovery from the investigation by law enforcement which was over 4,000 pages and more than 10 disks full of interviews. That material was not considered by the investigator for the Title IX investigation,” Smith said in a text message. “Now that my office has had time to review the material, which contains very inconsistent stories by the complainant, I believe the university would have reached a different conclusion had they not rushed to judgment and completed a fair investigation.”
She said the school’s “Title IX process needs to change.”
“Decisions are made on a rushed basis and after incomplete investigations,” Smith said.
John Shea, a lawyer representing Corley, also criticized the process.
“Mr. Corley was unable to participate in MSU’s investigation due to the criminal investigation that was pending throughout. The institution knew that, had our objections, and elected to proceed anyway, notwithstanding that there was no urgency in fact or in law for it to do so,” Shea said in an email. “It is regrettable, especially in circumstances where only the participants know what occurred, that MSU would act essentially just on the word of one side.
“They can hide behind what they call their ‘policy’ all they want, but few would view such a process as consistent with ‘due’ process. At least now we are in a court of law, where the playing field is level and the allegations can be fairly aired, and contested.”
A message was also left with an attorney for Vance.
