Indiana has dismissed running back Morgan Ellison from the football team and suspended him from the university for two and a half years after a panel concluded he engaged in nonconsensual sex with another student.
Ellison has not been charged with a crime and is not the subject of a police investigation, but the university’s decision bars him from setting foot on campus during his suspension.
Ellison, who has previously claimed the sex was consensual, has appealed the decision, according to the Indianapolis Star.
The football team had already suspended Ellison, the Hoosiers’ leading rusher last season, before the season began, though he had returned to practice earlier this month.
The actions are a result of a student’s complaints following an incident at her off-campus apartment. The woman told the Star that one of her roommates allowed Ellison to stay the night, and that she woke up with him on top of her.
The panel concluded that “the aggravating factor of (Ellison) engaging in sexual activity while Complainant was asleep, and (Ellison)’s use of force during the incident” led to his suspension from the university, according to the Star.
As part of the panel’s decision, Ellison must also undergo counseling and is prohibited from contacting the woman.