Vanderbilt Rape Case Update: James Franklin Testifies He Never Saw Video of Alleged Attack
ByJames Franklin testified Wednesday that he did not see a video recording of an alleged rape involving his players when he was the head football coach at Vanderbilt University.
According to the Tennessean, his testimony contradicts statements he made previously indicating he saw the video. Now the head football coach at Penn State, Franklin testified that he let his players believe he saw the video to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.
"I spoke as if I had seen the video because I was angry and upset and didn't want to water down the message to them," Franklin said at a pretrial hearing for four former Vanderbilt football players facing charges of aggravated rape.
Amid questioning from defense attorney, Franklin, who testified via Skype, said he never lied in regards to the video of the incident.
Brandon Vandenburg, Cory Batey, Jaborian McKenzie and Brandon Banks are accused of raping a female Vanderbilt student in a campus dorm room on June 23, 2013. Vandenburg was also accused of recording the incident and of destroying evidence for erasing the video.
Vandenburg also testified Wednesday, ESPN reported, and said he was pressured into talking to investigators and that police did not read him his rights. He said Franklin and assistant athletic director Kevin Colon told Vandenburg he would lose his football scholarship if he failed to cooperate. Vandenburg also said the police reiterated that point.
"I felt I was going to lose everything I worked so hard for,'' Vandenburg said at the hearing. "Every point in this process, I thought I had no choice."
Judge Monte D. Watkins held the hearing to consider testimonies that could affect pretrial motions. All four young men have pled not guilty to all charges and are tentatively set to go to trial Nov. 3.