Ex-Memphis player sues school over handling of rape claim

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A former University of Memphis football player is suing the school over its handling of a rape allegation.

The federal lawsuit filed Monday by Ernest Suttles says the school branded him as a rapist and cost him a possible NFL career. Court records say the state dismissed the charge last month after finding it couldn’t “carry its burden of proofs.”

Suttles was accused of raping a long-term girlfriend in 2017 just before the team was set to play the Liberty Bowl. The defensive lineman was kicked off the team and suspended from campus.

The lawsuit says the school didn’t interview a potential witness or close a related complaint, which prevented him from appealing the suspension and getting his financial aid restored. Suttles wants a jury trial and all records of the complaint destroyed.