Florida appoints booster to judge sexual assault hearing, accuser boycotts

The University of Florida, in response to the accusation that two of its football players were involved in a sexual assault, appointed a university booster to watch over the hearing of the case.

In turn, the alleged victim will be boycotting the case, according to a report by ESPN’s Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach.

Antonio Callaway, current wide receiver for Florida, and Treon Harris, formerly a quarterback for the program, are the two Gators accused in the sexual assault case.

Jake Schickel is the booster the University of Florida appointed to oversee the hearing.

In a letter to the university’s deputy general counsel, John Clune, the alleged victim’s attorney, said, “This has been a difficult decision but as I previously indicated to you, the fact that UF has hired a football booster to adjudicate a sexual assault allegation against one of the team’s own football players is a fundamentally skewed process in which [the complainant] refuses to participate.”

That’s not all Clune had to say, however.

“UF should never have asked him to serve as an objective reviewer and decision-maker on this matter when the claim has been brought against a star member of the very team for which both he and his law partners have provided considerable financial support… Quite frankly, short of finding a relative of Mr. Calloway, I’m not sure how UF could have found someone with more conflicts [than] Mr. Schickel.”

Callaway is statistically Florida’s greatest aerial weapon and has regained his eligibility; he began practicing last week.

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Steve Sarkisian to serve as analyst for Fox Sports 1
Steve Sarkisian to serve as analyst for Fox Sports 1