Latest news with #Retzlaff
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
BYU QB's legal issues: What's next in the Jake Retzlaff civil lawsuit?
A prominent Salt Lake City lawyer who has been on both sides of the aisle as a sex crimes prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney said that the civil lawsuit filed Wednesday against Jake Retzlaff — alleging that the BYU quarterback committed assault and battery on a Salt Lake County woman 18 months ago — is 'problematic and damaging,' but could be worse. Greg Skordas, a 38-year legal veteran who was the Democratic candidate for Utah Attorney General in 2020, told the Deseret News Thursday that it is important to remember that 'Jane Doe AG vs. Retzlaff, Jake' is a civil suit and not a criminal complaint. 'It is much less damaging than would be a criminal case,' Skordas said when asked how much trouble the rising senior quarterback is in. 'I mean, a criminal case has significant consequences. For a rape, what could be five years to life in prison. This is a financial case, solely a financial case.' The case has been assigned to 3rd District Court Judge Coral Sanchez, according to an amended complaint filed Thursday by the anonymous plaintiff's attorney, Terence L. Rooney. Skordas said the amended complaint changes some 'technical stuff' and is mostly similar to the original complaint. 'They just did some things wrong' in the complaint filed Wednesday, he said. 'No important changes.' The lawsuit seeks 'greater than $300,000 each' for as many as three causes of action: battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to court documents. 'I am not saying that (the civil lawsuit) is not still a problem, but in my opinion it is a lesser problem,' Skordas said. 'And it does not appear, from anything that we are hearing, although things could change, that there is going to be a criminal case.' As of Thursday evening, no criminal charges had been filed by the Utah County Attorney's Office, the jurisdictions where Retzlaff resides and where the alleged assault is said to have taken place — in the bedroom of Retzlaff's apartment. Provo police issued a lengthy statement Wednesday night saying the plaintiff's story, as outlined in the court documents, that police discouraged her from filing a police report when she reported the alleged crime on Nov. 27, 2023, 'is not true.' Skordas said he wouldn't be surprised if the case is transferred to Utah County, because Retzlaff resides there and that is where the alleged incident happened. 'You would assume this case would be better tried in Utah County, but I don't know that that is important,' Skordas said. Along with naming Retzlaff as a defendant, the plaintiff also names John Does 1-50, signifying that her attorney believes there could be other people who concealed the misconduct, or failed to take steps to protect the alleged victim from Retzlaff. 'It could be the Provo police (who are the John Does in mind), but by all accounts, it looks like the Provo police did act on her complaints,' Skordas said, referring to the statement from PPD. 'She was reluctant to name him. She seems fairly reluctant to want to participate in any criminal prosecution. So I don't think there is a lot of evidence that the Provo police dropped the ball on this. That's just my own take on it.' Within hours of the lawsuit being filed, Retzlaff's family retained California attorney Mark D. Baute, who is most known for successfully defending NBA star Derrick Rose and his friends in a rape case. Baute issued a statement Wednesday saying Retzlaff is 'factually innocent' and that he will 'establish Jake's innocence through the judicial system.' Baute did not respond to the Deseret News' request for an interview on Thursday. Skordas said if the case eventually goes to trial — a process that will take 'probably between a year and a half to two years,' it could cost Retzlaff dearly in the pocketbook. He is assuming the plaintiff's attorney took the case on a contingency basis, much like personal injury lawyers do. The firm of Gross & Rooney, to which the aforementioned Rooney belongs, describes itself as 'personal injury and business trial attorneys' on its website. 'It could cost (the Retzlaff family) tens of thousands of dollars,' Skordas said. 'It depends on how far it goes. If it goes all the way to a jury trial, you could approach six figures.' According to court documents, Retzlaff had not been served notice as of Thursday night. After he's served, his attorneys will have 21 days to file a response, and the process will begin in earnest. BYU issued a statement Wednesday regarding the allegations and civil lawsuit against arguably its most prominent student-athlete (until No. 1 prep basketball recruit AJ Dybantsa begins playing for the Cougars in November) via Jon McBride, the school's associate athletic director for communications and media strategy. 'BYU became aware today that a civil lawsuit involving Jake Retzlaff had been filed this morning,' the statement read. '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.' The Deseret News has requested through BYU's University Communications to speak with a representative from BYU's Title IX Office. 'The school may take up a Title IX investigation, if it chooses,' Skordas said. 'That sort of remains to be seen.' Retzlaff, who is from Corona, California, and is the first Jewish quarterback in BYU football history, received his degree in exercise and wellness and participated in graduation ceremonies last month. To remain eligible, he will need to take at least one graduate-level class as he goes about his final season in Provo, although that season is clearly in jeopardy. Of course, as a student Retzlaff is subject to BYU's Honor Code, a set of behavioral standards that all students, faculty and staff at the school supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are expected to follow. The code encompasses various aspects of personal conduct, including chastity and avoiding premarital sex. BYU has an Honor Code Office that 'has the responsibility to address behaviors that violate the university's code of conduct,' according to its website. 'While a separation from the university may occasionally be necessary, we believe that as students engage in an educational Honor Code process, we can address almost all behaviors without any need for separation from the university,' the website notes. 'In fact, over 95% of our cases are resolved with the student remaining fully enrolled at BYU, with only about five students being expelled each year from a population of 35,000 students.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Civil lawsuit accuses BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff of raping Utah woman in 2023
Brigham Young quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of raping a woman at his Utah residence in November 2023. In a civil lawsuit filed this week in state court in Salt Lake County, a woman identified in documents as Jane Doe alleges that Retzlaff "raped, strangled, and bit" her after she and a friend came over to his place to play the video game "Fortnite." The claimant is asking for more than $300,000 in damages over claims including assault, battery and "emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, mental distress and anxiety." Retzlaff's attorney, Mark Baute, said on Wednesday in a statement to media outlets that Retzlaff is 'factually innocent." "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.' Retzlaff played two years at Corona Centennial High before spending a year each at Riverside City College and Golden West College in Huntington Beach. He has played 17 games in two seasons at BYU and led the Cougars to an 11-2 record last year. He has one year of college eligibility remaining. BYU said in a statement to The Times that it learned about the lawsuit Wednesday. "The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX," BYU wrote. "Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment." According to the lawsuit, Doe and Retzlaff met via social media in October and began messaging. They met in person in late November when Retzlaff invited the Salt Lake County resident to his place in Utah County. She and a friend came over "that evening and went to his room to play Fortnite," the lawsuit states. The filing states that Doe interacted with "Retzlaff's friends and teammates" while playing the video game. Later, after her friend left, Doe and Retzlaff were kissing while watching a movie when "Retzlaff began escalating the situation, attempting to touch her breasts and genital area," according to the complaint. The lawsuit states that Doe "tried to de-escalate the situation and attempted to slow things down, trying to pull away, and saying 'wait.' She did not want to do anything sexual with him." Retzlaff's physical contact started "causing her pain," the complaint states, and Doe objected — saying "no" and "wait, stop" — and "wanted to leave, but was scared and felt like she could not get away." According to the lawsuit, Retzlaff would go on to allegedly pull Doe's hair, forcefully kiss her, bite her lip (which allegedly caused a cut) and "put his hands around her neck and started to press down so that she could not breathe," among other alleged actions before raping her. Doe left after Retzlaff fell asleep, the lawsuit states. She went to a hospital "a few days later," according to the lawsuit, and had a rape kit performed and photos taken of her injuries. She also spoke with the Provo Police Department but initially did not give Retzlaff's name because "she was scared and in shock and not ready to confront him," the lawsuit states. "At some point after speaking to the police, an officer reached out to her asking for the name because someone else filed a complaint against a football player and the police wanted to see if it was the same person," the lawsuit states. "At that point, [Doe] 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.'" In a statement released Wednesday night, the Provo Police Department said it "is aware of a civil suit involving an allegation of rape made by an anonymous plaintiff against a BYU football player" but "has not been served any legal filing relating to this civil case." The department said it was able "to identify a possible correlating case report" based on the details of the civil case. The initials of the woman who called in that report match those of Retzlaff's accuser. The Times does not name victims of sexual assault unless they choose to be identified. "Our records show that on November 27th, 2023, our department received a phone report from a woman ... who gave a similar account. She was treated with courtesy and care," the department stated. "The complainant in that case was given several opportunities to identify her abuser. She declined to do so, as is her right, and the case was subsequently closed. Collected evidence was examined, and it revealed no actionable investigative leads. Our victim advocates followed up several times to offer services but received no response." The department continued: "The civil suit states that Provo Police personnel discouraged the victim from proceeding, by telling her there is no justice for victims of sexual abuse. From everything we have reviewed, this is not true. 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. "Our Special Victims Unit investigations regularly result in criminal accountability for offenders. We hope the plaintiff chooses to make a statement to further the criminal investigation if desired." Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
22-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Civil lawsuit accuses BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff of raping Utah woman in 2023
Brigham Young quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of raping a woman at his Utah residence in November 2023. In a civil lawsuit filed this week in state court in Salt Lake County, a woman identified in documents as Jane Doe alleges that Retzlaff 'raped, strangled, and bit' her after she and a friend came over to his place to play the video game 'Fortnite.' The claimant is asking for more than $300,000 in damages over claims including assault, battery and 'emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, mental distress and anxiety.' Retzlaff's attorney, Mark Baute, said on Wednesday in a statement to media outlets that Retzlaff is 'factually innocent.' '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.' Retzlaff played two years at Corona Centennial High before spending a year each at Riverside City College and Golden West College in Huntington Beach. He has played 17 games in two seasons at BYU and led the Cougars to an 11-2 record last year. He has one year of college eligibility remaining. BYU said in a statement to The Times that it learned about the lawsuit Wednesday. 'The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX,' BYU wrote. 'Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment.' According to the lawsuit, Doe and Retzlaff met via social media in October and began messaging. They met in person in late November when Retzlaff invited the Salt Lake County resident to his place in Utah County. She and a friend came over 'that evening and went to his room to play Fortnite,' the lawsuit states. The filing states that Doe interacted with 'Retzlaff's friends and teammates' while playing the video game. Later, after her friend left, Doe and Retzlaff were kissing while watching a movie when 'Retzlaff began escalating the situation, attempting to touch her breasts and genital area,' according to the complaint. The lawsuit states that Doe 'tried to de-escalate the situation and attempted to slow things down, trying to pull away, and saying 'wait.' She did not want to do anything sexual with him.' Retzlaff's physical contact started 'causing her pain,' the complaint states, and Doe objected — saying 'no' and 'wait, stop' — and 'wanted to leave, but was scared and felt like she could not get away.' According to the lawsuit, Retzlaff would go on to allegedly pull Doe's hair, forcefully kiss her, bite her lip (which allegedly caused a cut) and 'put his hands around her neck and started to press down so that she could not breathe,' among other alleged actions before raping her. Doe left after Retzlaff fell asleep, the lawsuit states. She went to a hospital 'a few days later,' according to the lawsuit, and had a rape kit performed and photos taken of her injuries. She also spoke with the Provo Police Department but initially did not give Retzlaff's name because 'she was scared and in shock and not ready to confront him,' the lawsuit states. 'At some point after speaking to the police, an officer reached out to her asking for the name because someone else filed a complaint against a football player and the police wanted to see if it was the same person,' the lawsuit states. 'At that point, [Doe] 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.'' In a statement released Wednesday night, the Provo Police Department said it 'is aware of a civil suit involving an allegation of rape made by an anonymous plaintiff against a BYU football player' but 'has not been served any legal filing relating to this civil case.' The department said it was able 'to identify a possible correlating case report' based on the details of the civil case. The initials of the woman who called in that report match those of Retzlaff's accuser. The Times does not name victims of sexual assault unless they choose to be identified. 'Our records show that on November 27th, 2023, our department received a phone report from a woman ... who gave a similar account. She was treated with courtesy and care,' the department stated. 'The complainant in that case was given several opportunities to identify her abuser. She declined to do so, as is her right, and the case was subsequently closed. Collected evidence was examined, and it revealed no actionable investigative leads. Our victim advocates followed up several times to offer services but received no response.' The department continued: 'The civil suit states that Provo Police personnel discouraged the victim from proceeding, by telling her there is no justice for victims of sexual abuse. From everything we have reviewed, this is not true. 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. 'Our Special Victims Unit investigations regularly result in criminal accountability for offenders. We hope the plaintiff chooses to make a statement to further the criminal investigation if desired.'
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
New York Post
22-05-2025
- New York Post
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff accused of rape, strangulation in new bombshell lawsuit
A woman from Utah alleges that BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff raped, strangled and bit her during an incident in November 2023, and that police were uncooperative. A lawsuit filed Wednesday in Utah state court alleges that Provo police encouraged the alleged victim not to do anything, as they claimed, 'sexual assault victims never get justice.' Prove police disputed that statement in a press release. Advertisement 5 Jake Retzlaff of BYU has been accused of rape from an incident in November 2023. Getty Images The woman is identified as Jane Doe A.G. in the lawsuit, as detailed by ESPN. '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, claimed his client is 'factually innocent' in a statement. Advertisement '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.' It's detailed in the lawsuit that the woman and the rising senior quarterback connected on social media in October 2023 and exchanged messages before Retzlaff invited the woman to his home on or near Nov. 22. The woman arrived with a friend, who eventually left, and the two then began watching a movie together before things allegedly started to escalate. Advertisement 5 BYU Quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) at the NCAA Valero Alamo Bowl against Colorado at the Alamodome. Mario Cantu/CSM / Shutterstock 'At some point they began to kiss, but Jane Doe A.G. did not want to do anything more,' the lawsuit states. 'Retzlaff began escalating the situation … and Jane Doe A.G. tried to de-escalate the situation and attempted to slow things down, trying to pull away, and saying 'wait.' She did not want to do anything sexual with him.' The woman pleaded 'no' and 'wait, stop' with Retzlaff, according to the lawsuit, and in an attempt to leave, Retzlaff allegedly put his hands around the woman's neck and proceeded to rape her. 'It hurt so bad and caused so much pain that Jane Doe A.G. passed out,' the lawsuit states. 'Jane Doe A.G. remembers tears rolling down her face as she fought to breathe.' Advertisement 5 Retzlaff during a bowl game against Colorado in 2024. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The woman allegedly utilized a rape kit at a hospital, where pictures were taken of her injuries. Upon initially connecting with Provo police, she did not share Retzlaff's name. It wasn't until later when officials asked for the name, as someone else filed a complaint against a football player, the lawsuit says. '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,' the lawsuit claims. 5 BYU QB Jake Retzlaff before a Nov. 30, 2024 game. Getty Images The Provo Police Department released a statement Wednesday denying that it discouraged the alleged victim from proceeding. 'From everything we have reviewed, this is not true,' the statement says. '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.' Advertisement The statement from the police department said the lawsuit's allegations provide a 'similar account' to a Nov. 27, 2023 call it received from a woman who went by the initials A.G., which allowed the department to 'identify a possible correlating case report.' Provo police said the woman who phoned them on Nov. 27 was 'given several opportunities to identify her abuser' but she did not do so, leading to the the case being closed. The department deemed there was 'no actionable investigative leads' after reviewing 'collected evidence.' 5 Jake Retzlaff (12) of the BYU Cougars in action at the NCAA Valero Alamo Bowl against the Colorado Buffalos at the Alamodome. San Antonio, Texas. Mario Cantu/CSM / Shutterstock Advertisement 'Our victim advocates followed up several times to offer services but received no response,' the statement says. 'Because the civil suit does not identify the victim, we cannot be certain our police report is the same incident referenced by the plaintiff, but it does seem likely given the information we have.' BYU acknowledged it's aware of the lawsuit in a statement Wednesday. 'The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX,' the school said. 'Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment.' Advertisement Retzlaff took over as BYU's starting quarterback in 2024 after making four starts in the previous season, during which the alleged incident took place. Across 13 games, he threw 2,947 yards for 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He arrived at BYU from Riverside City College in Southern California.
