MADISON, Wis. – Quintez Cephus, the University of Wisconsin-Madison football player facing multiple sexual assault charges, filed a lawsuit against the school on Tuesday, claiming the administration violated his constitutional rights.
Prosecutors charged 20-year-old Cephus in August with second- and third-degree sexual assault. According to a criminal complaint, Cephus sexually assaulted two drunken women in his Madison apartment in April. Since August, the Badger’s wide receiver has been on a forced leave of absence for the UW-Madison football team.
In a complaint outlining the university’s internal investigation of the sexual assault charges, the university, the Title IX coordinator, the director of the office of compliance and the chancellor are accused of violating Cephus’ Fifth and 14th amendment rights, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX and the Americans with Disabilities Act, among others listed in the complaint.
“(The) defendants conduct … was malicious, reckless, and/or callously indifferent to (Cephus’) rights,” the complaint said.
UW Communications released a statement Wednesday.
“We have not yet reviewed this lawsuit. However, we are confident that our processes related to these types of investigations comply with federal law,” UW officials said.
Damages from the suit are to be determined at trial, according to the complaint, though they will include physical, emotional and psychological damages, damages to reputation and past and future economic losses, among loss of education and athletic opportunities.
Cephus was recruited to the university to play football, and was expected to graduate in 2020, according to the complaint. It also said Cephus “was a strong candidate to be a high draft pick in the National Football League.”
