Vanderbilt Football Scandal Update: Arraignment Court Date Set After Final Perp Surrenders to Police
ByShortly following the fourth and final former Vanderbilt football player turning himself in to police on charges of rape, they have received their first court date, arraignment on Aug. 21, the Associated Press reported.
Brandon Vandenburg, 20, of Indio, Calif.; Cory Batey, 19, of Nashville; Brandon Banks, 19, of Brandywine, Md.; and Jaborian "Tip" McKenzie, 19, of Woodville, Miss. have each been charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery.
The charges stem from an incident on June 23 at the Gillette House dormitory on Vanderbilt's campus in which a female student said she was raped. The campus police responded by contacting the Tennessee Metro Police Department's Sex Crimes Unit, who conducted the investigation.
The four former players were dismissed from the team and from the school on June 29, but were not identified until weeks later.
McKenzie, Vandenburg and Batey were the first to be arrested. McKenzie has since been released on $50,000 bond while Vandenburg and Batey are currently being held on $350,000 bond. Banks turned himself in Sunday night and is being held on $250,000 bond, USA Today reported.
Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said the rape most likely occurred in Vandenburg's dorm room in the early hours of Sunday, June 23. He is also charged with evidence tampering and unlawful photography. According to a police press release, the victim did not immediately come forward with the allegations.
"The matter first came to light the next week when university officials checking the dorm's hallway surveillance recordings regarding an unrelated situation observed concerning behavior by the defendants," the release said.
Vanderbilt Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Beth Fortune told News Channel 5 Nashville Friday the school was "shocked and saddened by the allegations." She included the administration would do anything possible to prevent such an incident from every happening again.
"Our first thoughts are for the victim, a Vanderbilt student, and we have conveyed to her and her family our deepest sympathy and sorrow," Fortune said. "We will continue offer her all of our services and support."