Last Wednesday, BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff was accused of sexual assault by a woman in Provo, Utah.
The alleged assault took place in November 2023, and the victim is suing Retzlaff in civil court for battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to a report from The Salt Lake Tribune.
A few weeks later, BYU Athletic Director Brian Santiago responded to the allegations with a statement on the ongoing situation.
“It’s a private matter,” Santiago said. “The University made a statement, Jake and his attorney have both made statements, and our responsibility is to care for our student-athletes. Certainly, it’s a tough situation. It’d be ignorant not to say it’s a tough situation, but it’s a private matter that’s going to be handled privately.”
“We just found out about it when others found out about it,” Santiago continued. “We want to respect the privacy of Jake, we want to respect the privacy of the University, and we want to respect the privacy of those involved as the matter gets worked out.”
The alleged victim initially withheld Retzlaff’s name but identified him after being pressed by a Provo police officer. The officer reportedly asked her to name the suspect, citing another complaint involving a football player and saying they wanted to determine if it was the same individual.
In the lawsuit, the woman claims the officer discouraged her from coming forward, allegedly telling her that “sexual assault victims never get justice.”
According to the suit, the woman and a friend visited Retzlaff’s home on Nov. 22, 2023, to hang out. After her friend left, the two began kissing while watching a movie. The woman stated she “did not want to do anything more.”
As the encounter escalated, Retzlaff allegedly began touching her sexually and asked for oral sex. When she refused, the lawsuit says he became angry and shouted at her. She attempted to reach for her phone to call for help, but found it dead.
The woman alleges that while she waited for her phone to charge, Retzlaff fell asleep—only to later wake up and force himself on her. She told him to stop and said “no” as he grabbed a condom, but, according to the lawsuit, he did not listen and sexually assaulted her.
She later sought medical attention and completed a rape kit examination. At the time, she chose not to name Retzlaff, fearing she would be identified by investigators. She said she was “scared, in shock, and not ready to confront him.”
Santiago finished his comments by saying, “I have full confidence that the right thing will happen moving forward.
