Report: Michigan State Walk-On Being Investigated for Groping Woman
A current Michigan State basketball player is being investigated for sexual misconduct, ESPN’s Paula Lavigne reports.
A female student told MSU police that Brock Washington, a walk-on freshman guard for the Spartans, “forcibly groped her without her permission” in August, according to Lavigne. The case was sent to prosecutors in mid-December.
Police classified the incident as fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, Lavigne adds.
Washington, 18, is from Southfield, Michigan, outside Detroit. He has not appeared in a game this season.
The revelation comes as the Michigan State athletic department faces increased scrutiny over sexual misconduct. The school found itself under pressure as the full scope of former faculty member Larry Nassar’s crimes became clear. Lavigne and Nicole Noren reported late last month that the Spartans football and men’s basketball programs had also failed to properly deal with sexual assault allegations against their players.
One notable case involved former MSU player Travis Walton, who was working as a volunteer assistant coach and living in Tom Izzo’s basement when he was accused of punching a woman at a bar and sexually assaulting a different woman months later.
