Report: Michigan kicker Brendan Gibbons expelled from university (for 2009 rape incident)

[alp227]

Source: Detroit News

Brendan Gibbons, Michigan’s former starting kicker, was expelled from the university last month, according to documents reviewed by the Michigan Daily.

Gibbons, according to the Daily report that was published Tuesday afternoon, violated the university’s Student Sexual Misconduct Policy.

In a letter addressed Dec. 19, 2013 to Gibbons from the university’s Office of Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR), which handles disciplinary proceedings against students, the Daily reported, he was informed he would be “permanently separated” from the university on Dec. 20.

Gibbons did not travel to Arizona last month for Michigan’s bowl game in Tempe on Dec. 28. Upon the team’s arrival, Michigan coach Brady Hoke announced that Gibbons had returned home to Florida and would not participate in the game.


Read more: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140128/SPORTS0201/301280099/Report-Michigan-kicker-Brendan-Gibbons-expelled-from-university

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Michigan Daily Article, which notes:

The permanent separation of Gibbons, who was a graduate student in the School of Social Work after graduating with a general studies degree, stems from an incident that was reported to have occurred on Nov. 22, 2009, according to documents. This corresponds with previous media reports that a sexual assault involving a Michigan football player occurred in the early morning hours of that day. Gibbons was a freshman and a member of the football team at the time that the conduct was alleged to have occurred.

Revised University policies regarding sexual misconduct may have forced officials to internally review or re-review the allegations. The updated policies, which have been in effect since 2011, state that any allegation of sexual misconduct received by the University must be investigated.

The Ann Arbor News article about the arrest did not name Gibbons. The publication reported in January 2010:

Ann Arbor police have closed an investigation against a Michigan football player accused of sexual assault, Detective Lt. Mark St. Amour said Tuesday.

Police are not seeking charges against the player because the accuser didn't want to pursue the case, St. Amour said.

What a &*()*&()^ JOKE. If UM really wanted to expel the guy they should've done so over FOUR YEARS AGO. This "permanent separation" is a cover-your-ass mockery of due process. Where's the NCAA?

BTW I used to live in Ann Arbor. I don't know if I can ever cheer for the Wolverines again. This is a Sandusky level cover up/conspiracy.

[radicalliberal]

1. "Where's the NCAA?"

Where it's always been: Nowhere (except for trivial matters).

[caraher]

2. 4 years too late, but

it sounds like it's less about athletics and more about few campus rapes, regardless of the suspect's connections, being investigated. From The Michigan Daily:

The differences between the old policy and the interim policy have already resulted in a significant increase in the number of sexual misconduct cases reported to the University. During the 2010-2011 academic year, three cases of sexual misconduct were reported to the University, but in 2011-2012, there were 62 cases of sexual misconduct investigated under the interim policy.

It's dead certain there were more than 62, let alone 3, sexual assaults on a campus that size in either of those years.

There should be criminal charges, though it's important to note that the University's standards of evidence allow them to sanction students who might not be successfully prosecuted in court.

So while I agree with the "shame on UM" sentiment, it sounds like the problem goes far beyond athletics. There should be justice for the victims whose attackers were not athletes, too!

[alp227]

3. That's because of a US Department of Education letter from 2011...

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201104.html

http://jonathanturley.org/2012/12/06/accused-students-deserve-protection/

http://chronicle.com/article/Education-Dept-Issues-New/127004/

[Union Scribe]

4. I first read about that incident on DU

Then it seemed to just disappear. No other media outlets seemed to pick up on the case. Amazing what the media will be complicit in letting slide.

[bpj62]

5. $$$$$

this incident occurred under a coach no longer with the team Rick Rodriguez. The NCAA does not get involved with criminal matters. Campuses nationwide are notoriously bad about reporting sexual assault cases, USC under reported multiple assault cases for years. As for the kicker you have a entity that supports the community with jobs and revenue so people are reluctant to bring these issues to the forefront. One of the problems is the combination of alcohol and a lack of morals by the athlete. many of these athletes have never been told no and they do not understand when a women tells them to stop. Everyone had told them they are the greatest and they come to believe it.

[jsr]

6. Good riddance