Even as his legal woes came to an end with a plea deal to a reduced charge, Chris Boyd has found himself on the outside of the Vanderbilt football program looking in.
In a press release sent out late Tuesday afternoon, the school announced that Boyd has been dismissed from the Commodores football team. The decision to dismiss comes four days after Boyd pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal intent in connection to a sexual assault case involving four former Vandy football players.
Boyd had originally been charged with felony accessory after the fact.
“The action came after an ongoing review that included information disclosed during a hearing Sept. 13 in Davidson County Criminal Court,” the statement from vice chancellor for public affairs Beth Fortune read. “The review concluded that Mr. Boyd’s admitted actions are clearly inconsistent with the high standards of behavior expected of our student-athletes.”
Boyd was placed on 11 months and 29 days of probation and, if he successfully completes that nearly year-long probationary period, he will have his record expunged.
Four of Boyd’s former Vandy teammates have been indicted on charges related to the on-campus rape of an unconscious female student. It’s alleged that one of the four videotaped the sexual assault; the original charge against Boyd was based on the player allegedly erasing the video of the attack.
It also surfaced during Boyd’s hearing last Friday that he had went to an on-campus hall where the attack occurred and helped get the semi-nude female victim back into a room. The prosecutor also stated at the hearing that one of the alleged perpetrators sent a text to Boyd “showing the unconscious victim with an object inserted in her anally.” Boyd deleted that photo, and advised those allegedly involved in the rape to do the same.
Boyd was suspended by the football program shortly after his mid-August indictment.
Last season, Boyd’s 50 receptions for 774 yards and three touchdowns were third on the team.