Judge sees evidence of bias in a strange case that ruined a football player’s career

He lost everything

Grant Neal was an up-and-coming fullback for Colorado State University-Pueblo, a Division II school. He played on the 2014 national championship team, and the team athletic site wrote about him in glowing terms:

Played in all 15 games, starting nine ... Led the way for a CSU-Pueblo rushing attack that finished the regualr season first in the RMAC (197.5 ypg) ... The true freshamn was also an extention of an offensive line that only allowed 1.09 sacks per game during the regular season to finish first in the league and 17th in the nation ... Was a driving force in Cameron McDondle's program record 2,014 yards rushing ... Totaled six rushing attempts for 13 yards and caught five passes for 39 yards ... Added four tackles (two solo) on special teams.

All that has now changed. Neal is no longer on the team and has been expelled from the school he's now filed a civil suit against.  He's claiming bias, among other things, after the school ruled he sexually assaulted his girlfriend — even though she said he didn't.

According to a report by Courthouse News Service, Neal entered into a romantic and sexual relationship with another athlete he was helping train in 2015. Neal and his girlfriend kept the relationship secret since the university frowns on student trainer-trainee romantic involvement. A friend of Neal's girlfriend found out about the relationship and reported it to school officials, who launched an investigation.

Even though, as per the Pueblo Chieftain, the girlfriend said she wasn't raped, the university took the action against Neal.

Neal's civil suit makes a number of allegations, including that the University was biased in its investigation against him. A judge in Colorado said that there's evidence to support that claim, and is allowing the lawsuit to proceed. The judge noted that university officials may have not considered relevant testimony, including the girlfriend's statement that the sex was consensual.

Neal granted a lengthy interview to Reason.com and in which he said:

"One day I woke up and I had all my dreams in front of me and I was doing very well academically and on the football field, and then I just got a wrestling scholarship, and for that to be yanked away from me for no justifiable reason... that's hard to cope with."