Which notre dame player accused

The accuser killed herself days after making the report. Joe Robbins, Getty Images. Tom Seeberg has always known the name of the Notre Dame football player accused of attacking his daughter, Lizzy, days before she killed herself in So when he heard that NFL prospect Prince Shembo for the first time acknowledged he was that player, Seeberg thought the public might finally better understand the frustrating battle he and his wife waged against a powerful university in trying to learn what happened to their daughter.

In a he-said-she-said matter, you can quickly gather forensic evidence to try to determine what happened there, or you can let it linger like they did. Let evidence spoil. During the radio interview, Seeberg defended his daughter's character, reiterated his disappointment in Notre Dame and said the university and police more aggressively investigated the case of linebacker Manti Te'o's fictitious girlfriend than that of his dead daughter.

Although Shembo's identity was widely known by those familiar with the Seeberg case, it was not publicized by the media, in part because Shembo never was charged with a crime. He said he did nothing wrong, had "nothing to hide" and that he stayed silent about the accusations under orders from Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly.

We just sought truth in this process. So for us, it was never about him personally. Was there other evidence they were waiting on? Did they need the written statement or want it so they could ask specific questions of the accused before contacting the accused? Should sexual assault allegations automatically be turned over to the county police? Do they have a protocol in place about when they turn cases over to the county police i. All in all, I think it's an excellent idea that that the Department of Education is further investigating procedures at Notre Dame.

If I were Lizzy's parents, I would have pushed for this and an independent investigation of the facts. Cases that involve sexual assault of any form cause a very emotional response. Most of us generally side with the victim. And most of us know someone who has been the victim of these crimes. Often the accused if guilty walks free because of lack of evidence so these cases are very frustrating. But both parties are protected under the law. And in this country, you are innocent until proven guilty.

I keep coming back to the question of how I would feel if someone wrongfully accused me of sexual assault taking out whether or not the accused is guilty in this particular case.

It wouldn't be fair for me to be suspended from my job without proof that I did something wrong as some have suggested. Unless charges were pressed, I wouldn't want my name in the media for suspected sexual battery, rape, or murder. These allegations carry a weight that other crimes do not. Even if found innocent and you are truly innocent , there are many out there who will forever associate you with those crimes.

Further, those crimes take time to investigate so months can go by with a trial by media before you even go to court. This is why people bring up the Duke Lacrosse case. Students in this case were removed from the university following allegations of rape they were later cleared. The university ended up settling with each student out of court for their wrongful dismissal.

According to the complaint, Roe smashed her phone as she tried to call for help during the alleged incident. Doe insisted that she wanted to deal with the assault and the alleged perpetrator privately. Some of her reticence stems from the fact that Notre Dame allegedly never educated Doe on her rights under Title IX since she was a visiting student. In April , the accused football player was suspended from the team for an unspecified violation of team rules.

The reason I wanted to talk was just to clear up my name. My name was in flames, pretty much. At the time, Chicago attorney Joe Power tried to put out those flames, telling Henneberger in her National Catholic Reporter story — which didn't name Shembo — that Seeberg made up a "complete phony lie In February , the U.

Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights began reviewing Notre Dame's handling of sexual assault complaints, apparently prompted by media reports about Seeberg's case. That same month, the university had concluded Shembo didn't violate Notre Dame's sexual misconduct policy — a conclusion Seeberg's parents later called "not at all surprising," considering the school's "wholly inadequate" investigation.

Seven months later, the university agreed to change its policies after entering into a settlement with the Department of Education. The key changes, according to the South Bend Tribune , were that victims are now "assigned a trained resource coordinator, don't have to face their alleged assailant in a hearing room and may appeal any decision reached by a campus disciplinary board.

But criticism of Notre Dame's handling of the case spiked again during last year's Manti Te'o revelations , when school officials rushed to stand by Te'o. Those officials never spoke publicly about Shembo's allegations, prompting USA Today 's Christine Brennan to ask, "Why did the university show more public concern for a fake dead woman than a real one?