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Florida Football: Antonio Callaway, Treon Harris accused of sexual assault

By Patrick Schmidt

Jan 1, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA;Florida Gators wide receiver Antonio Callaway (81) runs around Michigan Wolverines safety Dymonte Thomas (25) during the first quarter in the 2016 Citrus Bowl at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA;Florida Gators wide receiver Antonio Callaway (81) runs around Michigan Wolverines safety Dymonte Thomas (25) during the first quarter in the 2016 Citrus Bowl at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Antonio Callaway and Treon Harris were accused of sexual assault in December and the accuser is boycotting the Title IX investigation after a Florida booster was named to adjudicate the case.

In January, Antonio Callaway and Treon Harris were suspended by Florida for what was deemed a violation of the student code of conduct policy. Florida football head coach Jim McElwain was mum surrounding the circumstances of Callaway all spring and at SEC Media Days. Harris was asked to make a position switch from quarterback to wide receiver and it was presumed that was the primary reason for him requesting his transfer earlier this month.

Now comes the revelation from ESPN.com’s Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach that Callaway and Harris were accused of sexual assault in December. The accuser reported the assault to Florida’s student conduct and conflict resolution office but didn’t report it to the police. And now she is boycotting the Title IX investigation over the decision to appoint a Florida booster, Jake Schickel, to adjudicate the case, according to the report.

"“This has been a difficult decision but as I previously indicated to you, the fact that UF has hired a football booster to adjudicate a sexual assault allegation against one of the team’s own football players is a fundamentally skewed process in which [the complainant] refuses to participate,” the woman’s attorney John Clune wrote in letter sent Friday morning to UF deputy general counsel Amy Hass. “To be clear, [the complainant] remains very willing to participate in a fair and unbiased disciplinary process. Mr. Calloway’s behavior has had a great impact on her life and continuing as a student at UF is of great importance to her and her future.”"

The conflict of interest this presents led Brett Sokolow, executive director of the Association of Title IX Administrators to wonder if it’s even ethical for an attorney under state ethics laws to take the case.

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Harris’ decision to transfer also wasn’t a result of him being asked to change positions, rather terms of a plea deal related to the Title IX case that he agreed to leave campus and also apologized to the accuser.

Callaway returned to practice on Wednesday after leading the team in receiving as a freshman last year.

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