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UPDATE | Judge says YSU must let Richmond play for now
Richmond Court documents
Document
The lawsuit Ma'lik Richmond filed in U.S. District Court Wednesday arguing he should be allowed to participate in Youngstown State University football games along with the state's response, his attorneys' reply to that response and an affidavit from YSU Athletic Director Ron Strollo.
YOUNGSTOWN
Judge Benita Y. Pearson of U.S. District Court granted a temporary restraining order that forbids Youngstown State University from preventing Ma’lik Richmond from participating in YSU football games.
YSU issued a statement earlier this year saying Richmond could remain on the team but was forbidden to participate in athletic competition after a petition circulated asking the university to remove him from the team.
Richmond filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday after YSU said he could join the team but would need to wait a year to participate in games.
Richmond was one of two football players found delinquent in the 2012 Steubenville High School rape case. When The Vindicator reported Richmond was on the team, a petition was created asking President Jim Tressel and football coach Bo Pelini to remove him from the team.
That’s when the university issued the statement declaring that Richmond would not play this fall.
The complaint filed by Richmond claims he did not violate the student code of conduct and was denied due process in violation of the 14th Amendment.
It also claims the university discriminated against Richmond on the basis of his sex, in violation of Title IX — a federal law which requires university’s to provide the same opportunities to both male and female students.
Richmond’s lawyers also filed a motion asking Judge Pearson to grant a temporary restraining order which would allow him to play while the case is being adjudicated.
A response by the Ohio Attorney General’s office claims YSU “bent over backwards” to help Richmond and provided him a second chance when no one else would.
Richmond failed to prove YSU was motivated by gender bias and the university did not take action pursuant to the code of conduct, according to the response.
The response states that it would be harmful to the university to have its decisions reversed when there are competing interests in the student body and community.
Richmond’s attorneys argued that not allowing him to play could hurt future prospects of an NFL career.