Kansas University football coach Terry Allen says he didn’t mean to discourage a KU soccer player from pressing sexual battery charges against two KU football players.
“I apologize for and regret the misunderstanding with the young woman,” Allen said in a statement Wednesday.
“I was not, in any way, trying to make a deal with the student-athlete for her to not report this matter to the police.”
Allen, with athletics director Bob Frederick and women’s soccer coach Mark Francis, released written statements Wednesday afternoon. The three otherwise were unavailable for comment.
Police made reports of the complaint public on Tuesday, and media reported on the incident Wednesday.
The woman went to police April 26, two months after a February incident at The Yacht Club, 530 Wis. She said the players — both drunk — grabbed her and put her on the hood of a truck, then groped and taunted her.
The soccer player told Francis about the incident Feb. 29, and they met March 2 with Allen. She said Allen told her she could press charges, but encouraged her not to do so. Or she could leave the punishment up to him.
“When I met with the young woman and Coach Francis, I told her that she could report this matter to the police and I would support her 100 percent,” Allen said.
The woman said she agreed to let Allen handle the matter, but decided to go to police when she was told the players’ punishment was extra sprints at practice.
Allen hinted there were other repercussions but didn’t spell them out. He said if the football players are convicted they will be dismissed from the team.
Allen, Francis and Frederick said the woman has their support.
“I feel badly for the young woman who was allegedly subjected to this reprehensible behavior,” Frederick said in the statement. “I have apologized to the young woman and have encouraged her to seek counseling.”
Sgt. George Wheeler of the Lawrence Police Department said officers have interviewed one of the players but have made no arrests.
The soccer player was unavailable for comment Wednesday.
It is Journal-World policy not to identify victims of sex crimes; likewise the newspaper’s policy generally is not to identify people accused of sex crimes until they are convicted.
