University of Illinois Senior star basketball player Terrance Shannon Jr. has been suspended indefinitely by the team after being charged with rape in Kansas. Shannon was visiting Lawerence, Kansas for the Illinois-Kansas football game in September when the alleged rape occurred. Shannon turned himself in Thursday and posted bail and is headed back to Champaign.
In a statement, the school wrote that it “take[s] allegations of sexual misconduct seriously while respecting due process and the presumption of innocence afforded through the legal system.”
“We have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct,” athletic director Josh Whitman said. “At the same time, [athletic department] policy affords student-athletes appropriate levels of due process based on the nature and severity of the allegations. We will rely on that policy and our prior experiences to manage this situation appropriately for the University and the involved parties.”
Shannon posted $50,000 bail Thursday and was returning to Champaign, Illinois, according to the school. Mark P. Sutter, an Illinois-based attorney representing Shannon, said his client is innocent and intends to take the case to trial.
“Since September, when these allegations surfaced, Terrence has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation, declaring his innocence from the beginning,” Sutter said in a statement. “Now, several months later, my office learned that formal charges were filed against him yesterday in Lawrence, KS. In less than 24 hours, my client responded, and he voluntarily surrendered to local authorities for processing and release. Terrence is innocent of these charges, and he intends to take his case to trial.”
Cheryl Cadue, a spokeswoman with the Douglas County district attorney’s office, told ESPN, “We are unable to comment at this time.”
Illinois officials said they had been aware of a Lawrence police investigation involving Shannon since late September but did not receive “actionable information” until Wednesday, when the warrant for his arrest was issued.
Shannon currently is the team leader in every category except rebounds.
