KNOXVILLE - Amendments filed Wednesday to the federal lawsuit against the University of Tennessee include allegations from a former football player that head coach Butch Jones told him he'd "betrayed" the team for helping a woman who accused two other players of rape.
Wide receiver Drae Bowles, who transferred from the Volunteers to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga after the 2014 season, also said he was punched in the mouth by teammate Curt Maggitt for helping the woman, according to court documents.
The original lawsuit filed earlier this month lists six unnamed women who claim the university created a "hostile sexual environment" and violated federal laws in how it handled rape and sexual assault allegations involving male athletes, particularly football players. The amendment to the lawsuit included two new plaintiffs.
According to the original lawsuit, Bowles took one of the plaintiffs to the hospital the night she was allegedly raped by A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams and "supported" her in reporting the incident.
The following day, according to the amendment, Maggitt, a roommate and close friend of Johnson, confronted Bowles and punched him in the mouth, and when Bowles called Jones and told him what had happened, the coach told him he was disappointed in him and that he had "betrayed the team." Bowles then "became extremely upset, broke down and cried," according to the amendment.
Jones called Bowles later to apologize "for calling him a traitor."
The following day, according to the amendment, Marlin Lane and Geraldo Orta, Johnson's other two roommates, "aggressively" confronted Bowles as he ate alone in Smokey's Sports Grill, the in-house dining facility in the football complex, and assistant strength coach Brandon Myles twice had to intervene to keep the interaction from turning violent.
The lawsuit states that Maggitt admitted assaulting Bowles in his interview with police.
During a brief meeting with the media Saturday night, Jones shook his head but did not answer audibly when asked if Bowles was assaulted.
Tennessee released the following statement from attorney Bill Ramsey on Wednesday night: "The University has reviewed the amended complaint filed today by the plaintiffs and we continue to stand by our actions. The facts, as opposed to allegations in a complaint, will demonstrate that the University acted properly in the matters at issue.
"We have continuously worked hard to improve our processes and our procedures to ensure that we are doing all that we can to prevent incidents of assault, to support victims of assault and to pursue justice while ensuring due process for those accused.
"We will vigorously defend all claims in the amended complaint. The University is issuing this statement to lessen the potential harmful effects narrative the amended complaint has on the University's continuing efforts to encourage survivors to come forward and report sexual assaults and its efforts to educate students about the issue of sexual assault.
"The University will not allow this lawsuit to detract from those efforts."
Jones later released an assertive statement through Tennessee spokesman Ryan Robinson.
"The assertion that I ever attempted to belittle or demean a young man for taking action to help another person is absolutely false," Jones said.
"To the contrary, I did all I could to assist the former student in question. During the course of the judicial process, campus officials, as well as the young man's own words, will clearly establish that I have done nothing wrong.
"I will fight all of these false attacks on my character, and I know that once this process has been completed, my reputation will be affirmed."
Attempts on Wednesday night to reach Bowles, who previously publicly denied he was assaulted, were unsuccessful.
The new unnamed plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the accusers of former player Von Pearson and current player Alexis Johnson.
Pearson was suspended by both the football program and the university, which prohibited him from enrolling in classes that summer, for nearly four months in 2015 after he was accused of rape in late April. Charges were never filed in the case after the Knox County district attorney's office found there was insufficient evidence, and the university student conduct case also was dropped.
Johnson remains suspended after his arrest eight days ago on charges of aggravated assault and false imprisonment after being accused of choking and threatening his ex-girlfriend.
Of the six "Jane Doe" plaintiffs listed in the original lawsuit, five of them said they were raped, with three saying they were raped by Tennessee football players (A.J. Johnson, Williams, Riyahd Jones and an unnamed current player referred to in the lawsuit as "John Doe"). The fourth woman claims she was sexually assaulted by a basketball player and the fifth by a non-athlete.
Williams and A.J. Johnson are awaiting separate trials scheduled for this summer.
Jones and the other head coaches for every sport at Tennessee held a joint press conference Tuesday defending the school and athletic department's culture in reaction to the lawsuit and ensuing media coverage.
Tennessee announced Wednesday afternoon that athletic director Dave Hart, who was not present at that press conference, will speak to the media at 1 p.m. today.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.