In a controversial move, an Ohio district court judge has ruled that embattled player Ma’lik Richmond should be allowed to play on the team.
Ma’lik Richmond is a Youngstown State student. He was convicted of rape as a teenager after an alcohol-fueled incident. He has since served his time. Richmond joined the Youngstown State football team as a walk-on after a successful tryout. Later, the team dismissed him because a female student, citing a “rape culture” complaint, circulated a petition to boot him off the team.
Richmond filed a federal lawsuit against the school for violation of his civil rights. A judge has recently ruled that Richmond will be allowed to play for the school for the next two weeks. U.S. District Court Judge Benita Pearson ruled that Richmond can play temporarily until the preliminary hearing to decide the issue on Sept. 28.
Under the university rules, Richmond should have been given notice of his removal from the team. The school did not inform him, it simply issued a statement about his dismissal. It insisted that their actions were due to “community pressure”.
While I understand that the university felt that they were in a precarious position due to public scrutiny, they do have to follow the letter of the law. Allowing a mob to decide the fate of a student for an issue that occurred outside of the university’s purview is not only illegal, it is a violation of Richmond’s civil rights.
Under Ohio state law, Richmond served the sentence imposed upon him. He has not been accused of anything untoward since so he is not a repeat offender.
Related Story: Youngstown State student Richmond deemed ineligible after student petition
We’ll see how the case plays out after the hearing on the 28th and we will report back.