Colleges are under no legal obligation to disclose the disciplinary records of transfer students, as Baylor University's (BU) football program contends was the case for Sam Ukwuachu.
Ukwuachu was dismissed from Boise State's football team following his freshman season in 2012 allegedly for assaulting a female student. He then transferred to BU in May 2013, where he was accused of raping a female student months later.
Chris Petersen, Ukwuachu's coach at Boise State, is now challenging BU head football coach Art Briles' claim of ignorance to what the player was accused of.
"After Sam Ukwuachu was dismissed from the Boise State football program and expressed an interest in transferring to Baylor, I initiated a call with coach Art Briles," Petersen, now head football coach at Washington, said in the statement to ESPN. "In that conversation, I thoroughly apprised Coach Briles of the circumstances surrounding Sam's disciplinary record and dismissal."
Ukwuachu was found guilty of second-degree sexual assault on Thursday in relation to the alleged rape at BU in Oct. 2013 and faces a possible prison sentence up to 20 years. He was also indicted on two felony charges more than year ago, which resulted in him sitting out the entire season even though he was eligible to play.
Regardless, BU did not disclose the reason Ukwuachu was left off the roster and only acknowledged the alleged rape when his trial began this week. Petersen's statement supports an in-depth report from Texas Monthly that suggested Boise State personnel disclosed the assault Ukwuachu was accused of.
But when addressing the matter with reporters following Ukwuachu's conviction, Briles denied he knew of the player's violent record, The Associated Press reported. Briles also stated he dismissed Ukwuachu when he learned of the rape investigation.
Texas Monthly also detailed allegations that BU did not sufficiently help Ukwuachu's alleged victim after she reported her crime. The school also issued a statement addressing the football player's conviction, iterating their commitment to upholding the federal gender-equity law Title IX.
