Drae Bowles

#3
#3
I recall that he was out for a few days immediately after all that went down. There were so many rumors floating around. One that the girl accusing AJ was Drae's girlfriend. Drae found out about her and AJ hooking up and so she told him that AJ was forceful and Drae reported it. Then, the team confronted him about it. Never heard anything about an assault on Drae though. I don't know if it was ever confirmed if the girl was Drae's girlfriend either. Still crazy to me how her name hasn't been released. He has now missed 2 possible NFL seasons and very valuable training...if innocent of course. If not, he deserves every second of this.
 
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#6
#6
It's the american way. We sue for everything. It's the best lottery ticket you can find because the university will settle after three years to just get it in the rearview. I feel players could just start suing every university because fights happen in a lockeroom and many coaches believe in the philosophy of let the players police themselves. Hell the Cavs coach the other night encouraged it for his team.
 
#7
#7
I recall that he was out for a few days immediately after all that went down. There were so many rumors floating around. One that the girl accusing AJ was Drae's girlfriend. Drae found out about her and AJ hooking up and so she told him that AJ was forceful and Drae reported it. Then, the team confronted him about it. Never heard anything about an assault on Drae though. I don't know if it was ever confirmed if the girl was Drae's girlfriend either. Still crazy to me how her name hasn't been released. He has now missed 2 possible NFL seasons and very valuable training...if innocent of course. If not, he deserves every second of this.

He's only missed 1 NFL season...
 
#10
#10
Still crazy to me how her name hasn't been released.
Why do you need that information?

It's the american way. We sue for everything. It's the best lottery ticket you can find because the university will settle after three years to just get it in the rearview. I feel players could just start suing every university because fights happen in a lockeroom and many coaches believe in the philosophy of let the players police themselves. Hell the Cavs coach the other night encouraged it for his team.
This isn't simply a locker room fight.

Amazing how do many are willing to give passes based on a jersey color
 
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#11
#11
Why do you need that information?


This isn't simply a locker room fight.

Amazing how do many are willing to give passes based on a jersey color
Im sorry but players fighting their teamamtes happen on every team. It doesn't matter where it happened. Where does a coach's responsibility end? He suspended the players immediately and that was his stance. Regardless if he felt it was right or wrong of players to fight bowles he made his stance. The team chemistry crap has to be taken care of by the players. If jones had a meeting and told the players to get a long with bowles do you think they would have listened? My take is it would have made it worse as the players felt like they were scolded because of Bowles therefore elevating their anger. Bowles made a choice to help someone he felt needed it. However, he paid a price for doing what he felt was right. Thats life my friend.

We just get to sue people for.our feelings getting hurt in our great nation.
 
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#13
#13
I remember it was alleged at the time that the girl was a willing sexual participant and she was embarrassed when Bowles found out, so then she claimed rape and he got the police involved. There were people on here that claimed to have witnessed this happen. Then allegedly his teammates found out and some took him to the woodshed because they believed the girl made up the rape story because of Drae.

By all accounts, Drae is supposed to be a very high character guy, and from some accounts it sounds like he tried to do the right thing but believed the wrong person.
 
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#14
#14
Suprised it took this long to make it public. Some of us close to the UTC program had heard the basic parts of this story last spring. We had heard that some, don't know which, of the UTK coaches more or less endorsed what happened to Drae.
 
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#15
#15
I remember it was alleged at the time that the girl was a willing sexual participant and she was embarrassed when Bowles found out, so then she claimed rape and he got the police involved. There were people on here that claimed to have witnessed this happen. Then allegedly his teammates found out and some took him to the woodshed because they believed the girl made up the rape story because of Drae.

By all accounts, Drae is supposed to be a very high character guy, and from some accounts it sounds like he tried to do the right thing but believed the wrong person.

Complete conjecture.
 
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#16
#16
Below is the section applying to Bowles in the recent court filing.


159. On November 17, Plaintiff Doe IV met with several University representatives including Jon Gilbert (Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director), Mike Ward (Senior Associate Athletics Director) and her varsity team’s head coach. Gilbert, Ward and the head coach began the meeting by informing Plaintiff that the football team had just announced the immediate suspension of the two football players who had assaulted her, A.J. Johnson and Mike Williams, from all team activities.

160. When Plaintiff Doe IV asked whether the suspension was limited to football, she was assured that both Johnson and Williams would not be allowed to “step foot on the athletic footprint of the campus.”

161. During the meeting, Plaintiff Doe IV also voiced concerns of how the incident would be handled by the university as she had only recently (after she had been assaulted) become aware of the Marlin Lane incident from 2013, that also involved allegations of sexual assault against football players and reports of subsequent harassment by their supporters against the victim.

162. While the aforementioned was being discussed, Plaintiff Doe IV received a message from Plaintiff Doe V who was witnessing (at that moment) several football players “jumping” Drae Bowles, a member of the football team that had actually taken Plaintiff Doe IV to the hospital the night of her assault and who had supported her decision to report the incident to the authorities.

163. Plaintiff Doe IV informed Gilbert, Ward and the head coach at that time and even provided the identities of the players, but was told only “we’ll look into it.”

164. Plaintiff Doe IV later understood that athletic coaches were present during that altercation but has never been informed of any action was ever taken against the players in reference to that incident.

165. Days later, Plaintiff Doe IV became aware of a second assault on Drae Bowles in the team facility by the same football players.

166. Plaintiff Doe IV brought the second assault to the attention of school administrators but again, has never received information of any action taken by UT against these players although she has since been made aware that Drae Bowles transferred to another school.

167. The actions and intent of UT football players against Drae Bowles were disclosed by Williams in his November 26, 2014, interview with the police, when he stated that his teammate, Geraldo Orta, had told Williams that the football team had “a hit” out on Drae Bowles.

168. In his interviews with police, UT football player Geraldo Orta stated that he felt Bowles had betrayed the team and that where he (Orta) came from, people got shot for doing what Bowles did. These facts are set forth in the Knoxville Police Department Incident Report.

169. During the interview Orta also admitted having approached Drae Bowles in Smokey’s Cafe (the athletic dining facility), getting “in his face” and saying “some threatening things.”

170. Orta further acknowledged that UT football player Curt Maggitt had also, in a separate incident, confronted Drae Bowles in the team locker room before the team was instructed by Head Coach Butch Jones not to talk to him and before Bowles was “given time away from the team.”

171. The second assault on Bowles was admitted by Curt Maggit in his own interviews with police as well as the fact that he had purchased alcohol for the party.

172. No discipline was administered to either player.

173. In the days following the meeting, Plaintiff Doe IV became aware that Williams and Johnson were and would continue to be allowed to remain on campus and, contrary to the “official statements,” would be allowed access to the academic support centers (shared by women's and men's athletics).

174. Plaintiff Doe IV made the decision to stay at home with family until exams out of the fear of a possible encounter simply by following her own class and tutoring schedule.
 
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#20
#20
Suprised it took this long to make it public. Some of us close to the UTC program had heard the basic parts of this story last spring. We had heard that some, don't know which, of the UTK coaches more or less endorsed what happened to Drae.

Code Red.
 
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#21
#21
It's amazing how they claim nothing happened to any of these players, yet each of them was removed from the program.

And an investigation took place. There's nothing more you could've asked for from CBJ. So idk why he's included. This is about money and nothing else
 
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#22
#22
Yeah, the word "alleged" used in a couple instances cleared that up already.

You are sighting other people on this message board. I might as will get my dogs opinion and let him weigh in because that's how credible that is.

But if we are just going to talk about random stuff from the board let's be unbiased about it and get both sides

There are also people on this board that claimed to speak with players from the team directly that spoke very poorly of AJ's character and said things such as "it would not surprise me if he did it"

neither side of that is worth a hill of beans
 
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#23
#23
You are sighting other people on this message board. I might as will get my dogs opinion and let him weigh in because that's how credible that is.

But if we are just going to talk about random stuff from the board let's be unbiased about it and get both sides

There are also people on this board that claimed to speak with players from the team directly that spoke very poorly of AJ's character and said rings such as "it would not surprise me if he did it"

neither side of that is worth a hill of beans

Good for you. Don't worry, I won't charge you for teaching you the meaning of "alleged" today. Time for you to get ready for school so you can catch your bus.
 
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#25
#25
This is a complex and serious matter, so let me first say I am all for lawsuits, and believe they are often the only way people lower in the power structure can seek redress against powerful institutions. I also believe that it is true that crimes against women are being poorly handled by most of our public institutions at all stages from prevention to prosecution.

However, frivolous lawsuits only serve to undermine the system and call into question the motives of the very people who need the justice our courts are intended to provide.

The timing here, announcing this suit well before the criminal legal system has been able to adjudicate the matters at hand, seems suspect. I assume jury selection has not been made at this point in the two criminal trials? If not, these sort of "newsworthy" filings suggest a desire to get this story back into the minds of potential jurors and cloud their impartiality. At best, this is an over-eager and poorly-timed suit. At worst, this is the type of prosecutorial collusion that needs to be weeded from our judicial system.

The two players were dismissed from the University of Tennessee and the football program immediately for an incident that occurred off-campus and for which, constitutionally, they are still legally granted a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.

I see little in that swift action which constitutes a "culture of indifference" that would comport with a Title IX violation. Further, I suspect such a claim would be nearly impossible to prove if the criminal trial found the two defendants "not guilty". Therefore, there is a vested interest in the timing of this that is fairly unsavory to say the least.
 
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