Two football players at the University of Tennessee are being investigated for rape and sexual assault, following an alleged incident involving two 19-year-old women on Sunday morning.
Linebacker A.J. Johnson and defensive back Michael Williams haven’t been charged by police, but were named as suspects in the case, according to WBIR 10News, with Knoxville police stating the alleged incident took place just before 3 a.m. Sunday. One of the accusers, a student at Tennessee, said she was raped by two fellow students, while the other victim was a friend of hers visiting from Florida, who said she was sexually assaulted but has not pressed charges.
Coach Butch Jones said during Monday’s press conference he was unaware of the incident, but later the school announced the players were suspended while the investigation is ongoing.
“Right now, in the process of gathering all information,” said Jones. “Once we have all that appropriate information we will act in a very decisive matter which we have proven over time to do here at the University of Tennessee.”
Johnson, a senior linebacker, has faced legal trouble before, having been arrested in February for buying alcohol for people under 21 and resisting arrest. The charges were later dropped.