Photo:Cindy Ord/Getty
Cindy Ord/Getty
A woman who attended Columbia University with Marcellus Wiley in the 1990s is suing the former NFL star for alleged sexual assault and rape.
In a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court Tuesday, the victim claims that Wiley, 48, sexually assaulted and raped her in the fall of 1994 on the campus of the New York City-based university.
The plaintiff’s claims the assault occurred on Nov. 18, 1994, when she was a freshman Wiley was a sophomore and running back on the Lions football team. According to the lawsuit, he met the victim in her friend’s dorm room to listen to music.
After the woman “apologized and assured the defendant that she was just being straight up so that he would not feel misled,” Wiley allegedly said that “ain’t nobody tryna have sex with no virgin! Don’t worry, I got you. Just coming to hang out while I eat. I don’t even have condoms on me.”
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According to the lawsuit, once Wiley arrived at the woman’s single room on the ninth floor of Shapiro Hall, the 6-foot 4-inch, 250-lb. athlete allegedly “began kissing her forcefully.” The lawsuit also alleges that Wiley raped the victim multiple times.
“[Wiley’s] actions were intentionally designed to cause plaintiff severe emotional distress or were taken with reckless disregard of the significant and/or substantial probability of causing plaintiff severe emotional distress,” the lawsuit alleges.
The woman later reported the assault to administrators at the university, who were “dismissive” about her accusation, and discussed the alleged assault with Wiley before they spoke with her, the lawsuit states.
At one point, Residential Dean Kathleen McDermott allegedly told the victim that she believed Wiley did not rape her because the plaintiff “was not from America and had therefore misinterpreted defendant’s conduct because people from different cultures interpret things differently,” according to the lawsuit.
Beginning in the fall of 1993, the university received reports from other women who alleged that Wiley had sexually assaulted and/or raped them, the lawsuit states. The victim claims in her lawsuit that she was traumatized and later attempted suicide following the incident.
Representatives with Columbia University did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for additional comment about the lawsuit.
Since graduating from Columbia, Wiley played 10 seasons in the NFL as a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars. He later went on to work for ESPN and FS1 as a broadcaster and currently hosts a podcast calledMore to It.
PEOPLE did not immediately hear from Wiley for comment.
source: people.com
