Baylor suspends football player hit with protective order

By AP
Published

Baylor safety Travon Blanchard has been suspended after the school was notified that a woman's request for a protective order against him had been granted by a court.

The Baylor athletic department released a statement Tuesday, saying it was aware of the complaint made against Blanchard through the McLennan County District Attorney's Office.

Baylor says it was notified on Feb. 7 and appropriate campus student-conduct process was initiated. Blanchard was suspended indefinitely from all team-related activities.

Baylor is facing at least six federal and state lawsuits as well as a federal civil rights investigation into claims the school and football program ignored, mishandled or tried to cover up reports of sexual or physical abuse and other criminal misdeeds across campus for years under former coach Art Briles and former school president Kenneth Starr.

Matt Rhule was hired away from Temple in December to coach the Bears. Three weeks ago, Rhule fired an assistant strength and conditioning coach who had been arrested in a prostitution sting.

The Big 12 sanctioned Baylor in February, announcing that it would indefinitely withhold 25 percent of the school's conference revenue payout until a third party determines the university and athletic department are complying with Title IX guidelines and other regulations.

Baylor was given 105 recommendations for reforming its Title IX process by Pepper Hamilton, the firm that handled the initial investigation. The nation's largest Baptist university has already implemented at least of 80 of the reforms.

Blanchard is a senior and returning starter. He was fourth on the team with 73 tackles last season.

KWTX-TV in Waco, Texas, first reported the protective order against Blanchard and that he had been suspended. According to court documents obtained by the television station, a woman with whom Blanchard had a relationship accused him of multiple acts of violence and threats against her.

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