James Franklin Avoids Questions on Sexual Assault Allegations Against Former Penn State Football Players
During a press conference on Wednesday, Penn State head football coach James Franklin refused to address allegations of sexual assault against two former members of the Penn State football team, Jameial Lyons and Kaveion Keys. The players were charged with felony rape and other offenses related to an incident that occurred at an on-campus apartment over the summer. Lyons and Keys were dismissed from the team on August 3.
Despite reporters’ attempts to inquire about the situation, Franklin walked away from the microphone, and a Penn State athletics spokesperson stated that no further comments would be made on the matter.
Charging documents revealed details of the alleged incident, with Lyons accused of assaulting a 17-year-old student on campus. Keys faced similar charges, and a video of the incident was found on Lyons’ cellphone. Both players denied recording anything during the incident.
Additional charges were brought against Lyons for assaulting another woman, with neither woman consenting to sexual contact. Lyons claimed he thought the encounter was consensual, while Keys denied any sexual contact with the women in question.
According to the police affidavit, the alleged victim stated that she was unable to escape the assault due to the players’ size. The two men were arraigned with bond set at $500,000 unsecured for Lyons and $400,000 for Keys.
