UT rape case suspects, alleged victim not enrolled

As spring semester classes got under way at the University of Tennessee this week, neither the two suspects nor the alleged victim in a recent rape investigation were enrolled as students.

Michael Williams, one of two football players accused of raping a 19-year-old woman on Nov. 16, is not registered for classes this term, according to Karen Ann Simsen, the university's director of media and internal relations. Williams, who is also accused of sexually assaulting another 19-year-old woman, was in his sophomore year at Tennessee.

The other suspect, star linebacker A.J. Johnson, graduated following the fall semester. Though he and Williams have been suspended from the team since shortly after Knoxville police began their investigation, Johnson posed for photos in cap and gown at Tennessee's student-athlete graduation festivities in December.

The woman named by police as the alleged victim, who was also a Tennessee student-athlete, is also no longer enrolled at the university, according to Simsen. The Tennessean is not identifying the alleged victim because she may be a victim of sexual assault.

Simsen declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding the enrollment statuses of Williams and the alleged victim, citing federal student privacy laws.

Margie Nichols, the university's vice chancellor for communications, told The Tennessean in November that the university would conduct an on-campus disciplinary investigation, separate from the police investigation. Expulsion and suspension are possible sanctions of such a process.

The school does not have any records of completed disciplinary proceedings involving Williams or Johnson, Simsen said Thursday.

"The university is prohibited by law ... from providing information on whether a student disciplinary proceeding is pending against either Mr. Williams or Mr. Johnson," she said.

In mid-December, the Knoxville Police Department announced that it had finished its investigation into the incident, which allegedly occurred at Johnson's off-campus apartment following the Volunteers' win over Kentucky. The case has since been in the hands of the Knox County District Attorney General's office.

Sean McDermott, the assistant district attorney for Knox County, did not return a call for an update Thursday.

There have been no charges in the case.

Reach Matt Slovin at mslovin@tennessean.com or on Twitter @MattSlovin. Reach Anita Wadhwani at awadhwani@tennessean.com or on Twitter @anitawadhwani.