April 19, 2024

UT has hostile sexual environment, according to lawsuit

Six women have filed a lawsuit against the University of Tennessee, and are accusing the university of enabling sexual assaults by student-athletes.

Neyland Stadium, University of Tennessee - Knoxville. //Photo by Ryan McGill

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A group of six women filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming that UT enables sexual assault by student-athletes.

The women who filed the lawsuit were not mentioned by name. They are represented by David Randolph Smith.

The women accused four former Tennessee athletes of sexual assault. Former basketball player Yemi Makanjuola and former football players A.J. Johnson, Riyahd Jones and Michael Williams were the former players accused.

One current Tennessee football player, who was not mentioned by name, was also accused.

According to the Associated Press, the lawsuit states that Tennessee’s policies made students more vulnerable to sexual assault, and went on to call UT’s response to the accusations “clearly unreasonable.”

The AP report says that Bill Ramsey, a lawyer representing UT, believes the school acted lawfully and “in good faith” in response to the accusations.

The Tennessee Journalist will continue to report on this situation as more information becomes available.

Featured image by Ryan McGill

Edited by Ben Webb

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Sports Editor, Cody McClure, has been with TNJN since January 2014. He is passionate about SEC football and basketball. To him, there's nothing better in life than game day in Neyland Stadium. Cody covers the SEC for Athlon Sports. Additionally, he co-hosts Rock Solid Sports for WUTK 90.3 FM on Fridays from 7-8 p.m. ET. Cody is also interning at Sports Radio WNML working under Jimmy Hyams. In his spare time, he plays golf, travels the country, and plays guitar, badly. Follow him on Twitter @CodyMcClureCFB.