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Open Letter By Student Athlete Accused Of Rape EXPLODES On Social Media

University of Tulsa student athlete Patrick Swilling Jr., the son of an NFL Pro Bowl player, wrote an open letter that was posted online after his rape accuser filed a Title IX federal lawsuit against the school for its investigation of her allegations.

Though a search for his name pulls up several tweets that link to the 16-page letter – which Swilling’s lawyer Corbin Brewster told USA Today was a draft that was released prematurely – media outlets appear to have not linked it. It’s not clear who first posted it, Tulsa World reported:

Brewster did not say who first began sharing the letter with various media outlets via Twitter. It was published via Google Docs online and lists the author as Patrick Swilling. The World will not post the letter on its website because it names and presents specific details about the two women who have alleged that Swilling raped them.

The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court by Abigail Ross alleges that Swilling raped her in January and “outlines three prior alleged incidents involving Swilling” by other women, ESPN reported. The suit further states that “TU undertook zero investigation of his conduct” and was “deliberately indifferent to the substantial risk” that Swilling would keep harassing women at the university.

Following the allegations, “Swilling was suspended from the team the next day,” but he was found “not responsible” after a university investigation and hearing in March and was reinstated after the season ended, USA Today said. Tulsa police investigated but the district attorney didn’t file charges.

Despite being cleared, Swilling was informed this week by the NCAA that he wouldn’t get a waiver to play football for the school this semester, Tulsa World said:

Swilling was seeking a progress-toward-degree waiver to become academically eligible despite having incomplete grades from the spring semester, attributed to the sexual-assault investigation that resulted in his suspension for the final 11 games of his senior basketball season.

In the letter, Tulsa World said, Swilling accuses Ross of

deleting text messages and tweets that cast a different light on their relationship, and he accuses her of being a self-proclaimed “cleat chaser.” …

“I have been verbally abused, harassed, constantly sent harsh things on social media and even received death threats on multiple occasions. While I understand the backlash, your opinions of myself have been created by reading material that portrays me in a negative light. Nothing written has been in my favor and nothing negating my accuser’s stories has been written either.”

Read the full Tulsa World story here.

h/t greg

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IMAGE:  ESPN screenshot

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About the Author
Associate Editor
Greg Piper served as associate editor of The College Fix from 2014 to 2021.