The University of Montana has agreed to pay a former Montana quarterback an amount of $245,000 to settle claims that the university mishandled the rape investigations against him.
University of Montana quarterback, Jordan Johnson claimed that the university had been biased with the investigation by accusing him that he raped a female acquaintance in 2012, Yahoo reported. The case drew national attention and was even talked about in a book written by author Jon Krakauer entitled "Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town." Johnson, Grizzlies' starting quarterback during the time was acquitted in 2013.
"Any student accused of wrongdoing deserves a fair and impartial hearing of the facts of his or her case," Johnson said in the statement. "Officials at the University of Montana - people who were in positions of great power - were unfair and biased. Their misconduct made my family and me suffer unnecessarily, both emotionally and financially."
The University of Montana case has also been handled by the U.S. Department of Justice to examine if the university, Missoula County prosecutors and police mishandled the investigations of the rape case. It also led to significant changes in the way sexual assault is being reported and handled. The federal prosecutors had settled a deal with the university, the city and the county prosecutors for the changes, Daily Mail reports.
"I want to put this entire situation behind me and move forward with my life," Johnson said in the statement.
The rape allegations against Johnson led a university investigation. After the investigation, the university court handling complaints of student conduct violations recommended that Johnson will be expelled from the university, WBRC claims. Johnson's exclusion was appealed by the university president Royce Engstrom. The former player was not expelled from the campus. David Paoli, Johnson's attorney said that his client preferred to settle the case outside the court than to file a lawsuit.
The University of Montana has agreed on 11 claims that Johnson has made, including violations of due process and his civil rights, sexual discrimination, negligence and destroying evidence.
