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Jameis Winston sued by accuser in sexual assault incident
Almost exactly two weeks before the NFL draft is to begin, news broke that the presumptive top pick Jameis Winston is being sued by his accuser in an alleged sexual assault incident from 2012.
The story was first reported by Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times. Baker reported the lawsuit was filed by Erica Kinsman on Thursday in the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial District. In the lawsuit, according to the Tampa Bay Times, Kinsman accuses Winston, the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner at Florida State, of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and "intentional infliction of emotional distress arising out of forcible rape." The incident in question happened in December of 2012.
USA Today reported that in the lawsuit Kinsman seeks damages in excess of $15,000 to be determined in a jury trial.
Winston was not criminally charged in the case due to insufficient evidence. He was cleared in a Florida State code of conduct hearing. Kinsman also filed a Title IX federal lawsuit against Florida State this year. Florida State filed a motion in March to dismiss that suit.
This news, while very close to the draft, isn't likely to change much about Winston's draft status. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew about the allegations from the incident. Everyone who has followed Winston did; it became a huge story in 2013. Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith has already said he is comfortable with Winston off the field.
Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson said that Bucs ownership, and Darcie Glazer Kassewitz in particular, "has raised some internal questions about the community relations impact of the pick." But it's not like the lawsuit filed on Thursday changes any of the facts the Bucs knew of the case. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times confirmed through sources that the lawsuit won't affect the Buccaneers' decision.
Here is the statement Kinsman's attorney, John Clune, gave to Baker of the Tampa Bay Times:
"Today, a very brave young woman filed her lawsuit against Jameis Winston for the sexual battery that she reported to police in December 2012. Over the past two years, this survivor of sexual violence has had to endure a delinquent police investigation, a hostile FSU athletic department, and Mr. Winston's bullying lawyer. But the more these forces sought to silence her, the more determined she has become to step forward and hold Jameis Winston accountable for his actions. With the support of her family, she is prepared for this fight and for the counterclaims and the smear campaigns that will surely follow.
"We know that quite often the public is quick to support the cause against sexual violence but at times can be slow to support the individual women who come forward. We hope that this case becomes a model for understanding what real sexual assault cases look like as well as the barriers that survivors face in coming forward. Perhaps more than anything, Erica hopes to show other survivors the strength and empowerment that can come from refusing to stay silent no matter what forces are against you.
"Jameis Winston in contrast has proven time and time again to be an entitled athlete who believes he can take what he wants. He took something here that he was not entitled to and he hurt someone. There are consequences for that behavior and since others have refused to hold him accountable, our client will."
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
