United States: no rape charges to be filed against Colorado University football players

Off Our Backs, Jul/Aug 2004 by Christian, Sena, Stachowski, Roxanne, Ferden, Sara, Walter, Shoshana

DENVER-On May 11, Colorado's attorney general decided that no criminal charges will be filed against Colorado University football players accused of raping female students. Attorney General Ken Salazar cited concerns about the evidence and reluctance of the women to go forward with the case as reasons for not proceeding with the charges.

In February, news broke alleging that the Colorado football team used sex and alcohol to entice recruits to the Boulder campus. At least eight women have accused football players or recruits of rape since 1997. Three of the women have sued Colorado University in federal court, saying the school failed to protect the women under the federal Title IX gender equity law. They claim the rapes constituted a hostile environment for women in violation of federal laws guaranteeing equal access to education.

One of the women was Katie Hnida, the first female to play on a Division I football team. According to Sports Illustrated, Hnida had been "subjected to lewd comments by other players, groped in huddles and raped by a teammate."

In addition to the allegations of rape, a woman testified in court in May that a school aide paid $2,000 in cash to a call girl service. The recent Colorado scandal has prompted investigations into the recruiting practices and football culture of other colleges, such as the University of Minnesota and Brigham Young University.

Colorado University football coach, Gary Barnett, has been suspended with pay for comments he made about Hnida's athletic abilities after she made the rape and sexual assault allegations.

-info from www.neo-vox.org and Sports Illustrated