A University of Kansas investigation found that a men's basketball player likely hit a female student multiple times in late 2015 and recommended two years of school probation.
According to information obtained by The Star, sophomore Lagerald Vick was accused of punching the student in the arm more than once and kicking her in the face. The university's Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access investigated from late December 2015 into January 2016 and determined Vick likely committed domestic violence.
University investigations use preponderance of evidence standards _ which means the matter in dispute is more likely than not to be true _ to determine if violations of school policy occurred. It is not known if a report was filed with campus police but Vick has not been charged with a crime.
The KU office recommended Vick be put on university probation for two years, The Star has learned. It isn't known if Vick was ever put on that probation or, if he was, if he is still on it. He continues to play.
That office declined to discuss the case and referred The Star to Joe Monaco, director of strategic communications for KU's public affairs office.
"Due to federal law," he said, "and to protect the rights of all individuals involved, the university cannot comment on individual IOA investigations."
A phone number listed for the female student was disconnected.
It isn't known if Vick, a guard from Memphis, Tenn., was disciplined by the KU athletic department or coach Bill Self. There has been no public suspension of Vick. According to media reports, Vick missed two games in December 2015 _ the 19th and 22nd _ because of illness.
At the time, Self said: "He's not feeling good. He's not 100 percent."
Jim Marchiony, KU associate athletic director for public affairs, told The Star on Monday night that coaches discipline players based on violations of team rules. He said each incident is considered separately.
"We're not going to discuss the discipline in this case," Marchiony said.
Marchiony said Self and Vick were aware The Star gave them an opportunity to comment but they did not.
News of Vick's investigation by the school comes after a week in which the men's basketball team has been under intense scrutiny.
Sophomore Carlton Bragg, who remains indefinitely suspended from competition, was charged last week in City of Lawrence Municipal Court with possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor. University of Kansas police seized two glass smoking devices with residue during their investigation into a reported rape in December at McCarthy Hall, where the men's basketball team and other male students live, but said there was "no indication that the drug paraphernalia is related to the sexual assault case."
KU police are still investigating the reported rape of a 16-year-old girl and two other crimes _ contributing to a child's misconduct and furnishing alcohol to a minor _ which allegedly occurred between 10 p.m. Dec. 17 and 5 a.m. Dec. 18 at McCarthy Hall. Police have not released any information about a suspect in those three offenses, including whether the suspect resides at McCarthy or attends KU.
A report of a runaway child in need of care also was made at McCarthy between 10 p.m. Dec. 17 and 4:23 a.m. Dec. 18. No information about the child was provided in a police report obtained by The Star, though the runaway was reportedly located and picked up. KU police have not said whether the runaway and the reported rape victim are the same person, but a police report lists Bragg and two 19-year-old women, who were listed as others interviewed in the police report about the alleged rape, as witnesses.
Also, Bragg was twice accused of battery against two different women last fall with neither case resulting in charges. In a September case brought to light last week, prosecutors did not charge Bragg because of insufficient evidence after reviewing a police report from McCarthy Hall.
Three months later, Bragg was suspended by Self on Dec. 9 before prosecutors dismissed another case against him and charged the woman who had accused Bragg, Saleeha Soofi, with battery. She pleaded not guilty Wednesday in her first court appearance.
