The North Carolina Tar Heels have suspended Allen Artis indefinitely from their football team, according to the school’s well-known student newspaper.
UNC spokesperson: Allen Artis has been indefinitely suspended from the football team, per policy for any players charged with misdemeanors.
— The Daily Tar Heel (@dailytarheel) September 13, 2016
The suspension rapidly follows the press conference of Delaney Robinson, a University of North Carolina sophomore who said Artis raped her while she was blacked-out.
Per team policy, any athlete charged with a misdemeanor is indefinitely suspended.
Head coach Larry Fedora told the press Tuesday the team was aware of the Artis’ situation and that they “take these matters very seriously,” adding on they were “fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities”.
Robinson’s press conference, in which she said the following, took place Tuesday afternoon.
Statement from Delaney Robinson, who claims a UNC football player sexually assaulted her on Feb. 14 pic.twitter.com/dH5jNWMrZv
— Jeremy Vernon (@jbo_vernon) September 13, 2016
What stands out most in her press release is how stacked against sexual assault-reporters North Carolina’s system seems.
Robinson said Department of Public Safety officials asked her “humiliating and accusatory” questions and that investigators assured Artis every time he got upset.
Robinson’ attorney, Denise Branch, provides even further detail in her statement, below.
Statement from Robinson's attorney, Denise W. Branch. pic.twitter.com/kXMCgpI7qT
— Jeremy Vernon (@jbo_vernon) September 13, 2016
The most shocking revelation to come from Branch’s statement is that the Orange County District Attorney defended his decision to decline prosecuting the case by saying “unconsciousness is rape, black-out drunk is not rape.”
Rape culture is a nasty affliction in college athletics, with Baylor most recently being in the news for allegations among their football players.
There’s absolutely no place in the world, let alone college sports, for such actions.
Keeping in mind the fact Artis is yet to be proven guilty, some level of judgment must be withheld until further legal proceedings occur.
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