Quintez Cephus' sexual assault accusers hire attorney after WR's reinstatement at Wisconsin
Quintez Cephus might be one of No. 17 Wisconsin’s top receivers again, but the legal saga surrounding his sexual assault allegations may be nowhere close to over.
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The two women who accused Cephus of sexual assault have hired prominent attorney John Clune to investigate university officials’ decision to reinstate the wide receiver following his acquittal last month, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Quintez Cephus’ accusers lawyer up
Cephus’ accusers are reportedly seeking answers on how he was reinstated to the university, and they have hired an attorney with a large amount of experience when it comes to sexual assault and Title IX.
Among Clune’s past clients are accusers of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston and more than 30 Baylor football players.
Clune told the State Journal that Wisconsin made an “unprecedented” decision to reinstate Cephus, and that his clients were not involved in the process to determine whether he should be allowed to return. He alleges that constitutes a violation of their due process rights under Title IX and the Clery Act, which requires the reporting of college crime statistics.
From the State Journal:
''They've done either a horrible job at explaining their decision-making or they did something illegal,'' Clune said. ''Right now it looks like both, but that's what we've been hired to find out.''
Cephus’ attorneys reportedly threatened a lawsuit if he wasn’t allowed to return, and now Wisconsin is also potentially facing legal action for allowing him to return.
Clune reportedly said possible litigation depends on the cooperation of the university in explaining its decision on Cephus. He claimed his clients were “shut out” of the reinstatement process, only receiving a “vague” letter that failed to explain the justification for readmitting him:
"Any option is on the table," Clune said. "I hope it doesn’t go down that road. These students don’t want to be in litigation. They want to be in classes. Their families are frustrated and they’re trying to figure out whether this is a safe place for their kids given everything that’s gone down."
Cephus was accused of having sex with the two women while they were too intoxicated to consent last year. He reportedly met them at a bar and invited them to his apartment alongside his roommate, fellow Wisconsin wide receiver Danny Davis. While Cephus admitted to asking Davis to take photos of the unclothed women, he claimed that both women were sober enough for the sex to be consensual.
The jury sided with Cephus’ account after a short 45 minutes of deliberation, clearing him on all charges.
Weeks later, Wisconsin reinstated Cephus as a student. Cephus was a member of the football team again, catching the team’s first reception in its 49-0 win over South Florida last week and finishing with 39 receiving yards on three receptions.
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