Prosecutor to Investigate Rape Case Against LSU Player

LSU's handling of a rape finding against one of its football players is now drawing scrutiny from prosecutors. East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III has opened a criminal investigation into defensive end Damien Shanklin after a 19-year-old student, Kendall Danielle Francis, publicly accused him of rape and criticized the university's response on TikTok. LSU's Title IX office concluded that Shanklin was responsible for "forcible rape" and initially suspended him for two semesters, the Los Angeles Times reports, but an appeal downgraded that to four semesters of probation, allowing him to stay on campus.

An administrative law judge called the original penalty "exceedingly harsh," noting the encounter involved both consensual and nonconsensual sex and was "brief" and describing Shanklin's conduct as an "error in judgment." Francis said that she is now taking classes online because she fears encountering him on campus and that he sent her $1,000 after she obtained a rape kit. His attorneys issued a statement Thursday saying Shanklin is innocent. He has been kept off the field this season; coach Lane Kiffin has said he will not practice or play while the investigation is proceeding. Shanklin is still listed on the team roster, per the Reveille.