Report: Jameis Winston's accuser hires Title IX attorneys
Jameis Winston led Florida State over Auburn to win the school's the third national title. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
The woman who accused Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston of sexual assault has retained two Colorado lawyers who have worked on sexual assault cases involving athletes, reports Kevin Vaughan of FOX Sports.
According to the report, attorneys John Clune and Baine Kerr have agreed to work with Patricia Carroll, who represents Winston's accuser. In January, Carroll said her client planned to file a civil lawsuit against Winston, the Tallahassee Police Department and possibly Florida State University.
Clune said their work "will be wide-ranging to evaluate the conduct of a number of individuals and entities in this matter and assess their civil and criminal liability."
The accuser alleged Winston raped her at a December 2012 off-campus residence. Winston denied the allegations.
In November, Tallahassee, Fla., police and the state attorney's office reopened their investigation of Winston, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy and help the Seminoles win the BCS National Championship.
Willie Meggs, the state attorney on the case, decided there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges against Winston.
Clune has handled campus rape cases at several universities and also represented the woman who alleged she was raped by Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.
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The work of Kerr and Clune is expected to include an examination of the conduct of Florida State officials and the potential of a federal lawsuit under Title IX, the gender-equity law that has become a powerful tool in sexual assault cases involving students.
Carroll told FOX Sports she brought Clune and Kerr in "to determine the most appropriate civil actions to pursue."
"After meeting with them," Carroll said, "I am confident that anyone who has liability in this case will be held accountable and justice will be served for my client at the end of the day."
