BYU Cougars starting quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of sexual assault by a Salt Lake City, Utah woman, according to a report from Jessica Schreifels and Kevin Reynolds of The Salt Lake Tribune.
The woman has alleged in the lawsuit that Retzlaff assaulted her in November of 2023 and is suing the Cougars quarterback in civil court for battery, assault, and infliction of emotional distress. She is seeking punitive damages from the quarterback in the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, the woman, identified in the filing as Jane Doe A.G., and a friend were invited by Retzlaff to his home on November 22, 2023. Doe remained in Retzlaff's home after the friend left, and was watching a movie with the quarterback in his room. Per the lawsuit, they began kissing, but Jane Doe A.G. "did not want to do anything more."
The lawsuit states that Retzlaff continued to escalate the situation despite the protests of the woman, and raped her.
The woman went to a hospital a few days later and a rape kit examination was performed. She reported the incident to Provo police, but did not initially tell the officer who she was accusing of the crime out of fear that he would find out that she reported him.
In a statement, Retzlaff’s lawyer Mark Baute said that his client was “factually innocent.”
"Jake's focus this year will be on football,” the statement read. “We don't try cases in the media, we will respect the process and establish Jake's innocence through the judicial system."
To date, Retzlaff has not been criminally charged.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as BYU Starting QB Jake Retzlaff Sued for Alleged 2023 Sexual Assault.
