Florida State University's (FSU) response to allegations of rape against Jameis Winston has officially led to a federal investigation.

According to documents obtained by USA Today, the U.S. Education Department's (ED) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will examine FSU's response for potential Title IX violations. Title IX is a federal gender equity law that requires schools to mount an adequate and timely response to reports of sexual discrimination.

Since sexual assault and harassment are considered discriminatory actions by law and failing to abide by Title IX could cost FSU in federal funding.

An anonymous source told Deadspin.com Thursday that FSU did not interview Winston about the alleged Dec. 7, 2012 rape until two weeks after led the Seminoles football team to win the National Championship. The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) also waited nearly a year to hand the case over to the state attorney, Willie Meggs. In Dec. 2013, he announced his office would not pursue criminal charges against Winston.

Deadspin cited the unnamed source saying FSU also did not contact the accuser to let her know they were questioning Winston. The school also reportedly interviewed two of Winston's football teammates, Chris Casher and Ronald Darby, who said they witnessed the sexual encounter.

Casher is said to have filmed Winston and the accuser having sex, but later deleted the film and destroyed the phone with which he recorded it. Both he and Darby were charged with five student conduct code violations while Winston received none.

The incident took place at an off-campus apartment building, so it will be up to the OCR's investigators to determine if FSU still did enough to ensure a complete and timely investigation took place.

Previous reports have indicated the TPD has had brief and ultimately useless conversations with Winston, who has continually refused to discuss the matter. He has only spoken through his attorney, who said the sexual encounter the night of Dec. 7, 2012 was consensual.

Deadspin's source said administrators, including the dean of student and a Title IX coordinator, did hold a meeting with Winston, but the two-sport athlete did not answer any questions or provide any sort of statement. If such a meeting did take place, then FSU did code-of-conduct investigation, required by Title IX.

Unfortunately for FSU, the OCR will take into account how the school waited more than a year after the alleged incident and even until the football season ended. Also taken into account will be how the school only interviewed Winston at this time.

Related