Vanderbilt Athletics Director Responds to Allegations

On Saturday and Sunday, multiple females reported via social media that they had allegedly been sexually assaulted or raped by members of the Vanderbilt football team.

Vanderbilt football became embroiled in a potential situation over the weekend when at least three females made public through Twitter allegations that they have been sexually assaulted or raped by either former or current Commodore players. 

Vanderbilt athletics director Candice Storey-Lee took to the same social media platform where the allegations first surfaced to share a series of nine tweets in response to the statements made by the ladies. 

Here is her statement in its entirety, as written on Lee's Twitter account.  

"I am aware of the reports made about current and former Vanderbilt student-athletes, and I am heartbroken to hear them.

To any individual who has endured the trauma of sexual assault or sexual misconduct, you have my full support and my assurance that Vanderbilt Athletics does not condone or tolerate such behavior.

As a former student-athlete myself and someone who has dedicated herself to this university, I have no greater duty than making sure that all of the young people who come through Vanderbilt stay as safe and healthy as possible, and are able to succeed.

To be clear, we take any and all allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct with the utmost seriousness. As is the case for any Vanderbilt student, these allegations are handled by our Title IX and student accountability offices, and we fully respect their process and the outcomes of their reviews and decisions.

We are committed to following that process, which is designed to be thorough and fair to all students.  We continue to clearly communicate our values and expectations to our student-athletes, educate them, and we take immediate and decisive action if conduct is determined to be inconsistent with our requirements.

Further, individuals found to have violated Vanderbilt's Sexual Misconduct Policy are held accountable.

I can say with the utmost confidence that sexual assault and sexual misconduct are not issues we ignore. My commitment and that of our coaches, staff, and student-athletes to addressing these issues is as firm as ever.? 

NOTE: Head football coach Derek Mason has not issued any statement on the allegations as of this writing. 

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.  

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