The University of Montana has reached a settlement with a student who claims the school’s investigation of his alleged sexual assault was mishandled.
Jordan Johnson, a former quarterback at the school who was accused of rape in 2012, will receive $245,000 as part of the settlement, according to missoulian.com.
Following an internal investigation into the rape accusations, the university recommended Johnson be expelled from school. Johnson’s appeal was also denied by university President Royce Engstrom. Johnson had argued in his lawsuit that the school’s investigation violated his due process and civil rights and also alleged sexual discrimination.
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Johnson was acquitted of sexual intercourse without consent in a 2013 criminal case.
Johnson’s attorney said that the university’s former dean of students, Charles Couture, had predetermined Johnson’s guilt before the school’s investigation and acted in a bias manner. Johnson’s attorney also claimed Couture had destroyed potential evidence in the case.
The university and its officials admit no guilt as part of the settlement.
Johnson joins a growing number of students who are suing universities that punish them following sexual assault investigations. Campus Safety reported on a Washington and Lee University student who reached a settlement with the school after filing a similar lawsuit last week.
According to the male student advocacy group A Voice for Male Students, more than 100 lawsuits have been filed alleging bias college disciplinary systems.