BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff accused of sexual assault and battery in civil lawsuit

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A Salt Lake City woman has accused BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff of sexual assault and battery, according to a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday. The woman, who is identified as Jane Doe A.G., alleges that Retzlaff raped, strangled and bit her at his apartment in Provo, Utah, in November 2023.

Retzlaff, in a statement from his attorney, denied the allegations.

According to the lawsuit, Doe and Retzlaff, 21, connected over social media the month prior, and Retzlaff invited the woman to his apartment on or around Nov. 22, 2023. Doe and her friend arrived at the apartment in the evening and went to Retzlaff’s room to play video games. Doe spoke to Retzlaff’s friends and teammates while playing, according to the suit. Later, her friend left the apartment, and Doe stayed to continue hanging out with Retzlaff. She said the two watched a movie and kissed, but that she “tried to de-escalate the situation and attempted to slow things down, trying to pull away, and saying ‘wait,’” when Retzlaff attempted to touch her breasts and genital area.

The lawsuit alleges that Retzlaff continued to escalate the interaction. When Doe tried to move away while saying, “no” and “wait, stop,” Retzlaff continued to force himself on her. When the woman reacted in a way that angered Retzlaff, he yelled at her.

Doe tried to call a friend, but her phone was dead. She moved to the side of his bed, plugged her phone in and waited for it to recharge. Retzlaff fell asleep while Doe’s phone was charging, but when she tried to get out of bed to leave, he “woke up, pushed her back down onto the bed, and started to forcefully kiss her,” per the lawsuit.

When Doe said “no” and told him to stop, Retzlaff bit her lip, the lawsuit alleges in graphic detail, put his hands around her neck and pressed down, and proceeded to rape her.

Doe visited a hospital a few days later, where a rape kit was performed and photographs were taken. The lawsuit says she was connected with the Provo Police Department but initially didn’t share Retzlaff’s 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,“ the lawsuit states. She later shared Retzlaff’s identity with an officer, but the Provo police “encouraged her not to do anything because, as they claimed, ‘sexual assault victims never get justice.’”

Doe is suing Retzlaff for battery, assault and “intentional infliction of emotional distress.”

Retzlaff is a redshirt senior at BYU and started for the Cougars last season.

In a statement Wednesday, Retzlaff’s attorney Mark Baute said that the quarterback is “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.”

In a statement, BYU said that the school “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.”

(Photo: Chris Gardner / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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