Latest news with #JakeRetzlaff
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
BYU Officials Send Clear Message About Jake Retzlaff's Future in Provo
BYU Officials Send Clear Message About Jake Retzlaff's Future in Provo originally appeared on Athlon Sports. A civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault was filed against BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff on May 21. Advertisement On the same day, the school issued a statement that read, 'BYU became aware today that a civil lawsuit involving Jake Retzlaff had been filed this morning. The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX. Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment.' Last week in Orlando, Florida, the Big 12 Conference met for its annual spring meetings. BYU President C. Shane Reese, BYU athletic director Brian Santiago, and BYU football head coach Kalani Sitake were asked by KSL Sports about Retzlaff's status with the university going forward. All three deflected back to the school's official statement. 'I don't have much to say on that,' BYU President C. Shane Reese said. 'You could probably anticipate that, but I just don't have much to say at this point.' Advertisement Santiago told KSL this is a private matter and would be handled accordingly. 'It's a private matter," Santiago said. "The University made a statement, and Jake and his attorney have both released statements. Our responsibility is to care for our student-athletes. Certainly, it's a tough situation. It'd be ignorant not to say it's a tough situation, but it's a private matter that's going to be handled privately. 'We just found out about it when others found out about it, and so we want to respect the privacy of Jake. We want to respect the privacy of the university. We want to respect the privacy of those involved as the matter gets worked out, and have full confidence that the right thing will happen moving forward.' As for Sitake, he kept his comments brief. 'Our university made a statement. At this point, I can't add any additional comment to that due to federal and privacy laws. So I'll just leave it at that,' he told KSL. Advertisement Many have speculated about Retzlaff's future in Provo and what direction Sitake would go in if BYU needed to replace him. With just under 13 weeks until the start of the college football season, the Cougars have expressed confidence in the team's quarterback depth. Related: What Happens If BYU Makes a Final Decision on Jake Retzlaff Sophomore Treyson Bourguet, former Utah State starter McCae Hillstead, and Stanford transfer Bear Bachmeier are behind Retzlaff on the depth chart. They all bring unique skill sets to the table. Bachmeier was once a coveted high school recruit and could now factor heavily into the team's plans. Related: Former BYU Standout Unexpectedly Cut by Steelers During OTAs As legal proceedings unfold, it wouldn't be surprising to see Retzlaff sidelined from the quarterback competition. At least until the dust begins to settle in Provo. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
BYU Quarterback Jake Retzlaff Accused Of Raping And Strangling A Utah Woman In 2023
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff had a standout year during the 2024 season, but he is now facing extremely serious allegations. According to a new civil lawsuit, Jake Retzlaff is being accused of sexually assaulting a Utah woman in 2023, who claims the football star "raped, strangled, and bit" her. In a new complaint, initially reported by KSL, Retzlaff, BYU's first Jewish quarterback in the school's history, is being accused of assaulting a woman he met in October 2023. According to the filing, Retzlaff met the woman, who filed under "Jane Doe A.G.," on social media that same year. They communicated online for a while before officially meeting at Retzlaff's home. Jane Doe alleges that Retzlaff began kissing her and attempted to take things further, an advance Doe resisted. The lawsuit claims, however, that 'Retzlaff began escalating the situation.' The filing states Doe 'tried to de-escalate the situation and attempted to slow things down, trying to pull away, and saying 'wait.'' However, Doe's requests were allegedly ignored. Per KSL, Doe alleges that after she requested Retzlaff stop the unwanted touching, he became more aggressive, "pinching her hard." "(The woman) wanted to leave, but was scared and felt like she could not get away," the lawsuit alleges. The complaint further alleges, according to PEOPLE, that Retzlaff began forcing himself on her and forced her to perform oral sex acts on him. It also states that Doe tried to call for help, but that only angered Retzlaff, who allegedly began "yelling" at her. '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 filing says. The horrific claims don't end there, though. According to the filing, Retzlaff allegedly raped Doe while placing "his hands around her neck." 'It hurt so bad and caused so much pain that Jane Doe A.G. passed out,' the complaint reads. Later, Doe alleges that after Retzlaff fell asleep, she "grabbed her clothes and her phone and ran." Doe eventually went to a local hospital, where a rape kit was performed and pictures of the "cut on her lip and the bruises around her neck and on her inner thighs" were taken. "As a direct and proximate result of Retzlaff's unlawful conduct, (the woman) suffered emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, mental distress, anxiety, and other damages in an amount to be proven at trial, but which are greater than $300,000 each," the lawsuit states, per KSL. According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe says she contacted the Provo Police Department about the alleged assault; however, she was apprehensive about giving the officer Retzlaff's name out of fear for her safety. Later, Doe says Provo police reached out to her because there was another complaint against a football player. However, after revealing Retzlaff's name, she claims she was discouraged from speaking out. "At that point Jane Doe A.G. 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,'" per ESPN. The Provo Police Department issued a statement in response to Doe's allegations, stating her claims were 'not true' and that she was 'given several opportunities to identify her abuser' but chose not to, causing law enforcement to close the case. "We have a team of dedicated investigators and victim advocates whose sole mission is to provide justice to victims of sexual abuse. They do not send people away, warning them there is no justice for victims," the department said. Retzlaff's attorney, Mark Baute, issued a statement on Wednesday in response to the lawsuit and said that he was looking forward to proving his client's innocence in court. "I have met him, and he is a nice young man. He is also factually innocent, and we look forward to proving that innocence. Jake's focus this year will be on football. We don't try cases in the media. We will respect the process and establish Jake's innocence through the judicial system," Baute said. The university also released a statement, explaining that they take "any allegation very seriously." "Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment," BYU officials added.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
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.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 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 . Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS BYU QB Jake Retzlaff accused of rape and strangulation in lawsuit that claims cops urged victim to stay quiet
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of rape, strangulation and biting by a Utah woman, who claims the police were uncooperative. The lawsuit, filed in Utah on Wednesday, claims Provo cops encouraged the woman to remain silent, allegedly teller her: 'Sexual assault victims never get justice.' Provo police have rejected her accusations. The woman is identified in her lawsuit as Jane Doe A.G. 'A year and half after the rape and strangulation, Jane Doe A.G. continues to experience extreme post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma symptoms as she works to process what happened and move on,' the lawsuit states. Retzlaff's attorney, Mark Baute, rejected her accusations in his own statement. 'We look forward to proving that innocence,' Baute said. 'Jake's focus this year will be on football. We don't try cases in the media, we will respect the process and establish Jake's innocence through the judicial system.' MORE TO FOLLOW...
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff accused of sexually assaulting woman in 2023 in new lawsuit
This article contains depictions of alleged sexual assault. BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of sexual assault in a new lawsuit filed Wednesday, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. A Salt Lake County woman filed an anonymous lawsuit Wednesday that accused Retzlaff of sexually assaulting her in November 2023. The woman also reported the incident to the police, though Retzlaff has not been criminally charged. In her lawsuit, the woman alleges Retzlaff assaulted her in 2023 after they had first connected on social media about a month earlier. The woman and a friend had gone to Retzlaff's home to hang out one night, per the report, and the woman stayed back after her friend left. Retzlaff and the woman then started watching a movie in his room and eventually started kissing. The woman said in her lawsuit she "did not want to do anything more" than that, but Retzlaff continued to try to "escalate things." Retzlaff allegedly tried touching her sexually and told her to give him oral sex. After the woman "reacted in a way that made Retzlaff angry," the lawsuit claims, Retzlaff "started to shout at her." The woman tried to call someone on her phone, but realized it was dead and started to charge it. As she was lying on his bed waiting for her phone to power up, the woman said Retzlaff briefly fell asleep. Eventually, the woman said Retzlaff woke up again and started forcefully kissing and touching her. She repeatedly told him to stop, per the report, but Retzlaff continued and ended up having sex with her. The woman went to a hospital a few days later to have a rape kit examination done, according to the lawsuit. She reported the incident to the police, too, but initially did not name Retzlaff out of fear. She later told Provo police Retzlaff's name after an officer asked her who he was because 'someone else filed a complaint against a football player, and the police wanted to see if it was the same person.' That same officer later encouraged her not to do anything about it, per the report, as 'sexual assault victims never get justice.' Neither Retzlaff's family, BYU police nor Provo police responded to The Tribune's requests for comment. The woman is suing Retzlaff for alleged battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Retzlaff transferred to BYU in 2023, and he led the program last season as its starting quarterback. The 21-year-old threw for 2,947 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the Cougars to an 11-2 record. The school is run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and holds all students to a strict honor code that includes prohibiting premarital and extramarital sex whether or not they are members of the Mormon church. Retzlaff is the first Jewish starting quarterback at BYU. The school has punished athletes in the past for violating these rules. In 2011, Brandon Davies was dismissed from the basketball team after he admitted to having sexual relations in violation of the honor code. It's unclear if Retzlaff will face discipline from the school.
