Jovon Robinson was dismissed from the Auburn football program this summer after a female student accused him of assault. Now AL.com reports that the woman has admitted the accusation was not true.
Robinson came to Auburn as the top ranked junior college running back in the country. According to AL.com, the woman, whose name has not been released, emailed head coach Gus Malzahn around 6 a.m. on July 15 after an argument with Robinson. She wrote that he caused her to hit her head on a door and bloody her knees. Malzahn forwarded the email to Auburn’s Title IX office, which reached out to her later that morning and asked for photos of her injuries. She never sent any, according to her account to AL.com.
The woman told AL.com that she later told the office she had lied, and she questioned why the school kept following up with calls afterward. Her description of how the school handled it has not been verified.
After Robinson was dismissed, the woman emailed Malzahn again. She wrote that she made up the entire story because she was upset that Robinson asked her to leave his room, and she asked the coach to reconsider his decision. At the time of the dismissal, AL.com reported that Malzahn said Robinson “did not meet my expectations” of an Auburn football player.
Auburn has said Robinson was dismissed for a number of incidents and has not said whether the accusation played a role. We did not see a statement from Robinson at the time of publishing.
It is a reminder of how much a single accusation can affect a young athlete’s future, and why the facts matter.
Made to order and shipped to your door.
