Oklahoma running back Kennedy Brooks is expected to rejoin team activities this week after the university completed an investigation of a complaint against him.
The Athletic reported that Oklahoma’s Title IX office cleared Brooks on Tuesday following an investigation, during which Brooks had been held out of all team activities this summer. According to The Athletic, a female Oklahoma student alleged that Brooks was physically violent toward her. The female student did not file a complaint with university or city police.
In a statement released to ESPN on Tuesday night, Oklahoma’s athletic department said it can elect to keep student-athletes from team activities after being notified of any school investigations.
“Per University policy, OU Athletics does not participate in any such reviews or investigations involving a complaint,” the statement reads. “Those reviews are handled independently by the appropriate university office. At this time, it’s expected that Kennedy Brooks will participate in football team activities later this week.”
OUInsider.com first reported that Brooks had not been participating in team activities this summer.
Brooks led Oklahoma in rushing last season with 1,056 yards and 12 touchdowns on 119 carries. He was one of three running backs named Tuesday to the Big 12’s preseason all-conference team. The redshirt sophomore from Mansfield, Texas, is expected to share carries with junior Trey Sermon this season.
Oklahoma’s Title IX office states that any complaint filed with the university’s equal opportunity officer triggers an investigation that should be completed within 60 days after the complaint is filed. Claims that are dismissed cannot be appealed “except in exceptional circumstances where additional evidence not otherwise available at the time of the report is submitted by the original complainant.”