James Franklin, the head coach of the Penn State football team, found himself in a difficult situation on Wednesday when asked about allegations of sexual assault against two former members of the team. Former players Jameial Lyons and Kaveion Keys were charged with felony rape and other charges related to an incident that occurred at an on-campus apartment over the summer. Both players were dismissed from the team on August 3, following the allegations.
During a press conference, Franklin refused to address the situation when a reporter brought it up. A Penn State athletics spokesperson read a prepared statement reiterating that Franklin would not be commenting on the matter. When pressed about when he knew that Lyons and Keys would not be on the team, Franklin walked away, leaving the spokesperson to reiterate the university’s statement.
New details about the alleged incident emerged when charging documents were made public. Lyons was accused of raping a 17-year-old Penn State student in July, in addition to other sexual offenses. Keys faced similar charges, with a police affidavit revealing that a video of the incident was found on Lyons’ cellphone. The two players denied recording anything during the alleged assault.
The charges against Lyons included indecent assault on another intoxicated woman, with both victims allegedly not consenting to sexual contact. Lyons admitted to having sex with the accuser but claimed he believed it was consensual. Keys denied any sexual contact with the women involved in the incident.
The 17-year-old victim reported that she encountered Lyons and Keys off-campus and was taken to an apartment complex where the assault occurred. She and two other women were provided with alcohol, and the victim described being choked and restrained by the two men. Lyons and Keys were arraigned with bond set at $500,000 unsecured for Lyons and $400,000 for Keys.
The Penn State community was left reeling from the allegations, and Franklin’s refusal to address the situation only added to the controversy surrounding the incident. As the legal process unfolds, the football program will have to navigate the fallout from the scandal and ensure that the players involved are held accountable for their actions.
