Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has finally had his university student conduct hearing, nearly two full years after the alleged sexual assault was said to have occurred.
At the hearing, presided over by Florida Supreme Court justice Major Harding, Winston provided a statement and a timeline of the night in question, stridently defending himself from rape and insisting the sex that night as consensual.
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Winston's statement was obtained by USA Today and published late on Wednesday:
"Rape is a vicious crime. The only thing as vicious as rape is falsely accusing someone of rape," it reads. "(NAME REDACTED) and her lawyers have falsely accused me, threatened to sue me, demanded $7,000,000 from me, engaged in a destructive media campaign against me, and manipulated this process to the point that my rights have and will continue to be severely compromised. (NAME REDACTED) and her lawyers' public campaign to vilify me guarantees that her false allegations will follow me for the rest of my life."
Winston faces multiple possible violations of sexual misconduct and endangerment in the university's code of conduct. Any determined violations could lead to expulsion. A decision is expected within ten class days.
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Winston was investigated for this incident by the local authorities last year, but state attorney Willie Meggs declined to press any charges, citing the case's lack of clear evidence.
Winston and the rest of the Seminoles travel to Charlotte on Saturday to play Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship.
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