May 22 – BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff was accused of sexual assault in a civil lawsuit filed Wednesday in Salt Lake (Utah) County, according to multiple media reports.

The lawsuit alleges that Retzlaff committed the assault in November 2023 at his home in Provo, Utah. The woman filing the lawsuit — listed as Jane Doe A.G. — has sued Retzlaff for alleged battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

According to the lawsuit, one of the reasons for the delay between the alleged incident and the filing of the civil charges is that Provo police, when the alleged victim linked Retzlaff’s name to the assault, suggested that she stay quiet because “sexual assault victims never get justice.”

In a statement, Retzlaff attorney Mark Baute declared his client to be “factually innocent.”

“I have met him, and he is a nice young man,” said Baute, who successfully defended former NBA star Derrick Rose on federal sexual assault charges in 2016. “He is also factually innocent, and we look forward to proving that innocence. Jake’s focus this year will be on football. We don’t try cases in the media. We will respect the process and establish Jake’s innocence through the judicial system.”