Austin Scott Is Suing Penn State

Back in 2007 Penn State running back Austin Scott was accused of rape by Desiree Minder.  After he was arrested for the charges, Joe Paterno did what you’d expect any college football coach to do when one of his players has been arrested for such a crime.  He kicked him off the team.

Well in August of 2008, when Minder found out that evidence from a previous rape allegation could be used in Scott’s trial, she withdrew the charges against Scott and he was let free.  So, basically, Scott got to spend some time in jail and have his entire football career ruined by a woman he did not rape, but claimed he did.

So now Scott is trying to get back some of what he lost, and he’s decided to sue the school and about 50 other people as well for what he had to go through.

Former Penn State running back Austin Scott, who was thrown off the team following his 2007 arrest for rape, has filed a federal civil rights suit claiming there was no basis for the charges.

Scott, who lives in East Stroudsburg, claims in the suit filed Wednesday in U.S. Middle District Court in Williamsport that he was projected to be a third- or fourth-round pick in the NFL draft until coach Joe Paterno dismissed him from the team.

He is seeking more than $150,000 in damages on claims that include malicious prosecution, false imprisonment, civil conspiracy, false arrest, failure to intervene and unlawful seizure.

Defendants, besides Minder, are Penn State, Centre County, District Attorney Michael Madiera, former assistant District Attorney Lance Marshall and Penn State Officers Matthew Cover, Ryan Rodgers and Dustin Miller.

Also named are Penn State Detectives Stephanie L. Brooks and Christine D. Vile, Chief Stephen Shelow and Assistant Chief Thomas Sowerby and 10 John or Jane Does who are either unnamed Penn State police officers or members of the district attorney’s staff.

Apparently there were numerous interviews with Minder in which she admits that she never told Scott to stop on the night in question, nor struggled to leave his apartment.  The apartment in which Scott says they both went to after a date, had consensual sex, and then he offered to pay for her cab ride home.

It was the second time Minder had alleged a man raped her, and the first defendant was acquitted.

In Scott’s lawsuit he also says that the former assistant DA, Lance Marshall, was only pursuing the case in spite of the evidence because he was trying to curry favor with Minder.  Interestingly enough, Marshall resigned from his job after making innapropriate sexual advance towards women.

So it seems like Scott has a pretty solid case here.  Still, I’m not sure I can blame Paterno for kicking him off the team after his arrest.  Yes, hindsight is 20/20 but it’s a tough position for Paterno to be in.  He can either kick the kid off the team before he’s had a chance to defend himself — which he did — or he can keep him on the team and be under fire for supporting a player who has been accused of a heinous crime.

You can’t just flip a coin in that situation, can you?