After a lengthy investigation from a Rhode Island grand jury, former Oregon men’s basketball player Brandon Austin was not charged with sexually assaulting a woman while he attended Providence College.
On Wednesday, the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General released the Statewide Grand Jury’s report detailing its decision not to indict Austin or his former Providence teammate and roommate, Rodney Bullock, who was also charged with sexually assaulting the same woman as Austin on November 3, 2013.
“After presentation of the evidence to the Grand Jury with respect to Brandon Austin, it was determined there was legally insufficient evidence to ask the Grand Jury to consider charges against Austin,” the report said.
In Bullock’s case, the grand jury said “there was insufficient evidence to bring any charges against” him.
The attorney general’s office said it could not legally release any more information surrounding the grand jury.
Austin, who transferred from Providence to the University of Oregon in January, was also investigated for an alleged sexual assault in March involving two of his Oregon teammates, Damyean Dotson and Dominic Artis. Similar to the Rhode Island grand jury’s decision, the Lane County district attorney dropped the investigation of the three players due to “insufficient evidence to prove charge(s) beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The Rhode Island grand jury’s full report can be seen here.
UPDATE (12:16 p.m., July 16): Austin’s attorney, Laura Fine Moro, released a statement criticizing the University of Oregon for suspending her client:
“It’s upsetting that, in the matter of both allegations against my client, (Providence and Eugene) there was a rush to judgment and an abandonment of the presumption of innocence.
The accusers are cloaked in anonymity while the accused are plastered accross the internet. Even though my client is exonerated in the eyes of the law, justice was not served.
It’s especially troubling that the UO suspended Brandon on an ‘emergency basis’ solely because, through me, he exercised his rights, per Miranda, to decline to speak to the police.
I have it on good authority that this is standard practice on the part of Sandy Weintraub and Chicora Martin, who are charged with enforcing the Student Conduct Code.
It is truly appalling that an institution of supposed higher learning would punish students for exercising their constitutional rights.”
UPDATE (1:23 p.m. July 16): Weintraub responded to Fine Moro with this statement:
“The Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards makes decisions on facts and evidence in any and all conduct matters. A student in a Student Conduct matter does not actually have Miranda rights as those apply only to criminal matters. However, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards has never made, nor would it ever make, a decision related to a student conduct process because a student declined to speak. We always encourage students to discuss conduct matters with us as that is the best educational process.”
Follow Victor Flores on Twitter @vflores415