The woman who accused quarterback Jameis Winston of sexually assaulting her in December 2012, filed a federal lawsuit against Florida State on Wednesday, alleging that the university violated her Title IX rights.
Attorneys for the woman, a former FSU student, filed the civil suit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Orlando on Wednesday morning, according to John Clune, one of her attorneys.
Winston’s accuser demanded a trial by jury and in damages from Florida State for Title IX violations of a “clearly unreasonable response” and allowing a “hostile educational environment,” according to the lawsuit obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
The former FSU student listed as Jane Doe in the complaint said she was allegedly raped by Winston at his off-campus apartment, but Winston has maintained that the sexual encounter was consensual. Tallahassee, Fla., police and the state attorney’s office never charged Winston in the case.
Winston was cleared of four violations of FSU’s student conduct code hearing after a two-day student judiciary hearing last month. On Dec. 21, retired Florida State Supreme Court chief justice Major Harding ruled that evidence was “insufficient to satisfy the burden of proof.”
FSU’s star quarterback announced Wednesday he will forgo his remaining two years of eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL draft.
Winston confirmed the decision in a statement issued Wednesday by The Legacy Agency, which will represent him.
Winston’s father, Antonor Winston, had told ESPN earlier Wednesday that his son had decided to enter the draft after initially planning to announce the decision after Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game.
“After weighing this decision with my family and friends, I have decided to declare for the 2015 NFL Draft and forgo my remaining eligibility at Florida State,” Winston said in the statement. “I reached this very difficult decision after careful consideration and long thought, realizing how difficult it would be to say goodbye to my family at Florida State. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to wear the garnet and gold and have greatly enjoyed my time as a Seminole, both as an athlete and a student in the classroom.”
NFLDraftScout.com ranks Winston as the No. 2 quarterback in the class of 2015 behind Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and the No. 3 overall prospect behind Southern California defensive tackle Leonard Williams.
After Winston sat out as a true freshman in 2012, he took the starting job in 2013 and led Florida State to the BCS national championship as a redshirt freshman and won the Heisman Trophy.
In 2014, the Seminoles again posted an undefeated record during the regular season before losing 59-20 to Oregon in the Rose Bowl last week, denying them a chance to play in the first CFP national championship game on Monday night.
Winston was 26-1 as a starter. He ranks fourth in touchdown passes (65), fourth in passing yards (7,964) and second in passes of 20 yards or more (124) since the start of the 2013 season.
This past season, Winston’s statistics fell off as he threw for 3,907 yards, 25 touchdowns and had 18 interceptions. He also rushed for 65 yards and three TDs.
Winston had a number of off-the-field scandals since arriving at Florida State, including the rape allegation. Other incidents included a theft of crab legs from a local grocery store, a one-game suspension for yelling a vulgar phrase in an on-campus dining area and allegations that he received money for his signature although nothing ever was proven.