The woman who filed a sexual assault claim against Florida quarterback Treon Harris withdrew her complaint on Friday. The University of Florida announced on Monday that Harris had been suspended indefinitely while he was investigated for sexual assault.
The latest news, which was first reported by ESPN.com’s Jeff Barlis, comes just one day after Harris’ attorneys released a statement claiming the 19-year-old was not guilty. The Gainesville lawyers said the woman who made the accusation was actually the “sexual aggressor.”
“We know that an individual has given testimony to law enforcement that he had sexual relations with the alleged victim less than an hour before the alleged sexual conduct with our client took place,” the statement from Johnson & Osteryoung read. “In fact, testimony indicates that the young lady in question was the sexual aggressor in that interaction.”
The attorneys said that several eyewitnesses and text messages can prove that the accuser initiated contact with Harris and that the two were “smiling” and “holding hands” before returning to Springs Residential Complex on the UF campus. Barlis reported on Thursday that the accuser is believed to be another Florida athlete.
It’s unclear if Harris will be reinstated in time to play against LSU on Saturday. The freshman came off the bench last weekend to lead the Gators to a 10-9 victory over Tennessee on the road.
