Apparently, there may have been good reason why no one at Missouri would comment on the reasons surrounding the suspension of leading running back Derrick Washington.
According to The Missourian, Washington had an order of protection filed against him in June after a woman had accused him of sexual assault the same month.
In court documents, the woman, who is in her early 20s, alleges Washington sexually assaulted her at about 2:30 a.m. on June 19 at the Campus View apartment complex.
“I was sexually assaulted by him. … I am pressing criminal charges,” she wrote in court documents. “I fear physical retaliation.”
The woman continued that Washington entered her room “unprovoked.”
The order of protection was issued on June 22 and a court hearing was scheduled on July 7. The hearing was rescheduled for July 22 at the request of the alleged victim, but neither party showed up on that date.
As the newspaper wrote, the case was dismissed without prejudice and could be filed again at a later date.
Athletic director Mike Alden, who would not confirm that the suspension was directly related to Washington’s legal situation, said the school has been aware of the situation for awhile now.
“I am certainly aware of the situation involving Derrick and the coach’s decision to suspend him,” Alden said. “(I have known) probably, I think for a few weeks, that there were some things that were being evaluated at that time.”
Head coach Gary Pinkel also refused to get into the specifics of what led to one of his co-captains being indefinitely suspended.
“He’s indefinitely suspended for disciplinary reasons,” Pinkel said. “As I’ve done for 10 years, I don’t ever talk about those issues. I tell my players: When something happens, I don’t do that.”"
It’s unclear how long the suspension will last and if Washington will be on the field Sept. 4 for the season opener against Illinois.
