The decisions regarding the statuses of a pair of Boise State football players will stand, both the Idaho Press-Tribune and Idaho Statesman are reporting.
Back in May, reports surfaced that two Broncos redshirt freshmen — linebacker Marquis Hendrix and cornerback Donzale Roddie — had been expelled from the university in the wake of a Title IX sexual misconduct investigation. An unidentified female BSU student had accused Hendrix and Roddie, along with fellow redshirt freshman safety Darreon Jackson, of coercing her into performing oral sex on at least three separate occasions.
Both Hendrix and Roddie appealed their expulsions; Tuesday, the university’s appeals board shot down their requests.
The families of both players are considering filing lawsuits against the university as their sons have steadfastly maintained any sexual contact was consensual. One player’s father in particular is highly upset with BSU and how the situation has played out.
“I think it’s ridiculous. We’re not going away,” Jack Hendrix told the Statesman. “No African-American student should attend Boise State, the way these kids were treated.”
Jackson was not expelled along with his two former teammates; rather, he was suspended for one year as he was found to have simply coerced the woman into oral sex with an unnamed recruit and had no physical contact with her. The appeals board reduced his suspension to one semester, although Jackson’s father doesn’t think his son will be returning to Boise.
No police charges have been filed against any of the players involved.
Below is the university’s statement on the latest development in the process:Federal laws created to protect the privacy of all students restrict the university’s ability to comment on or release publicly student records or campus investigations.
Coach Bryan Harsin, Athletic Director Curt Apsey and all staff and coaches in the athletics department hold Boise State student-athletes to high standards as representatives of our teams, the university and the community. The department educates student-athletes to make good decisions and treat all people with dignity and respect. This is part of the Boise State culture, and those who do not meet these standards will face consequences for their actions, including potentially losing the opportunity to compete for the university.
Boise State University has followed federal laws and guidelines to build policies and procedures that direct how the university investigates allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and misconduct — as well as what steps need to be taken to eliminate the harassment, prevent its recurrence and remedy its effects.
The university is committed to thorough and fair investigations into all allegations of sexual misconduct — and to holding parties accountable when they are found to be responsible for violating the student code of conduct.
Boise State strives to be a safe and fair place for all students, faculty, staff and visitors. We believe our awareness and responsiveness to issues related to gender-based violence, discrimination and harassment ultimately makes our campus a better and more welcoming environment for everyone.
Details about the university’s policies and procedures in this area can be found at https://compliance.boisestate.edu/titleix/.