Lions WR Quintez Cephus sues alma mater

[February 25, 2021]    Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus sued the University of Wisconsin, accusing the school of making him a "scapegoat" amid a sexual assault investigation that resulted in his temporary expulsion.

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Quintez Cephus (87) makes a catch against the Oregon Ducks in the second quarter during the 106th Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

He alleges in his suit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Madison, Wis., that the school violated both Title IX and his rights to due process. He is seeking unspecified damages.

Cephus was arrested in 2018 in Madison and charged with two counts of sexual assault. He was found not guilty in a trial the following year.

This is the second time Cephus sued the school, contending violation of his rights during a Title IX investigation that was opened in May 2018 and concluded at the end of August 2018. He filed the suit that October, and the case was dropped in March 2019.

Two women testified in his trial that Cephus sexually assaulted them at his apartment in April 2018 and that they were too drunk to give consent.

He was suspended from the Wisconsin football team and expelled from the university following the claims. He eventually was reinstated to the university and played the 2019 season with the Badgers, catching 59 passes for 901 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Lions selected him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Now 22, he played in 13 games (two starts) for the Lions, catching 20 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns.

--Field Level Media

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