BYU QB Jake Retzlaff Accused of Sexually Assaulting Woman Who Says Police Discouraged Her from Charges: Lawsuit
Brigham Young University quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of sexually assaulting a Utah woman in 2023, according to a new civil lawsuit filed Wednesday.
The filing, obtained by PEOPLE, also claims local Provo police discouraged the woman from filing charges against Retzlaff, 22
Retzlaff has denied the allegations via a lawyer, while Provo police also released a statement denying they discouraged the woman from pursuing criminal chargesBrigham Young University quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of sexually assaulting a Utah woman in 2023, according to a new civil lawsuit filed Wednesday, May 21 that claims he 'raped, strangled, and bit' her.
The filing, obtained by PEOPLE, also claims local Provo police discouraged the woman from filing charges against Retzlaff, 22, who rose to national prominence last year leading the Mormon school to a top-10 ranking as its first Jewish quarterback.
Retzlaff denied the allegations in the lawsuit via a prepared statement from his attorney, according to local KSL, The Salt Lake Tribune and ESPN, saying the junior quarterback was 'factually innocent.' 'We look forward to proving that innocence,' attorney Mark Baute told the outlets. 'Jake's focus this year will be on football.'
Baute did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for BYU football tells PEOPLE the university is 'aware' of the allegations against its team's quarterback.'The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX,' Kenny Cox, a spokesperson for the BYU football team, told PEOPLE in a statement. 'Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment.'
A spokesperson for the Provo Police Department also denied the allegations that one of its officers discouraged the woman from reporting the alleged assault and pursuing criminal charges, according to KSL, ESPN and The Salt Lake Tribune.
The woman, who is identified in the lawsuit as 'Jane Doe A.G.,' is seeking punitive damages from Retzlaff.
In her complaint, she claims that the alleged assault occurred in 2023.
Retzlaff and the woman met on social media in October of that year and messaged for several weeks before the college football star invited her over to his house, the filing claims. At his house, Retzlaff and the woman hung out with other members of the BYU football team, according to the complaint.
'At some point they began to kiss, but Jane Doe A.G. did not want to do anything more,' the filing says, alleging that 'Retzlaff began escalating the situation.' The complaint alleges the woman then 'tried to de-escalate the situation and attempted to slow things down, trying to pull away, and saying 'wait.''Retzlaff's touching then allegedly 'turned more into pinching her hard' which began 'causing her pain.' The complaint claims the woman 'tried to move away, and said 'no,' and 'wait, stop,' ' before Retzlaff allegedly began to physically force her to perform sexual acts on him.
The filing claims Retzlaff was 'angry' and 'yelling' at the woman as she tried to use her phone to contact someone for help. 'He was so much stronger, heavier, and taller than Jane Doe A.G. that she felt trapped and scared and was having trouble breathing,' the complaint alleges.
Retzlaff then began to rape the woman with 'his hands around her neck,' the complaint alleges. 'It hurt so bad and caused so much pain that Jane Doe A.G. passed out,' the complaint claims.
After Retzlaff fell asleep, the woman 'grabbed her clothes and her phone and ran,' according to the complaint. 'A few days later, Jane Doe A.G. presented to the hospital where a rape kit was performed and pictures taken of the cut on her lip and the bruises around her neck and on her inner thighs.'
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The complaint says the woman was connected with Provo police, 'but intially did not share his name because the officer she spoke to said if she did then detectives would show up at Retzlaff's house to question him and would share her name with him. ... She was scared and in shock and not ready to confront him,' the complaint alleges.
Later, according to the complaint, police again reached out to the woman to ask for Retzlaff's identity, allegedly telling her that they received another complaint about a football player and investigators wanted to check if it was the same person. The woman then shared Retzlaff's name, 'and the Provo police then encouraged her not to do anything because, as they claimed, 'sexual assault victims never get justice.' 'The complaint says the woman 'continues to experience extreme post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma symptoms as she works to process what happened and move on' more than a year and a half after the alleged rape occurred.
Attorneys for "Jane Doe A.G." did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Thursday morning.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to .
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