Law firm says three Purdue football players expelled following sexual assault accusations

The accusation against the players came stemmed from an early-morning incident on Oct. 13. (Getty)

A law firm representing a woman who accused Purdue football players of sexual assault says three of the players have been expelled from the university.

Four unnamed Purdue players were suspended from the team last fall after the October accusations. No charges were filed in connection with the incident — hence why the players weren’t publicly identified — though the school instigated a Title IX investigation as required by law after the accusations.

“My clients and I appreciate Purdue’s careful review of the facts and circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident, which led to the expulsion of these three players. Purdue has taken the necessary steps to ensure that these players will not victimize another student, for which we are grateful,” attorney Mario Massillamany said in a statement.

Purdue released a statement to Fox 59 that said it wouldn’t comment specifically on student discipline matters.

Federal law prohibits the university from releasing specific information regarding disciplinary sanctions against a student, however, we reiterate that Purdue takes any report of sexual assault seriously. The university consistently follows its processes to ensure the rights of all parties involved are respected.

Per police reports obtained by the Lafayette Courier-Journal in November after the accusations became public, four players were investigated in connection to the accusations. The Oct. 13 incident allegedly started when two women were drinking and started messaging a player about having a threesome. After the women continued to allegedly drink and smoke marijuana with the players, the alleged assault then took place.

The women told police they began having sex with two of the football players in a bedroom upstairs. After several minutes, the other two men in the room at the time initiated unwanted sex with them, they said. When questioned by police, the football players said they believed the sex was consensual but said, however, that one of the women asked one of the men to stop, and he did.

In separate statements to investigators, all parties said nobody was intoxicated to the point of being incapacitated that night.

Charges weren’t filed after the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the evidence. The Indianapolis-based law firm of Massillamany & Jeter LLP said it was representing both women in the fall but the statement from Friday references just one woman.