Ex-Montana quarterback acquitted of rape

Courts » Case drew national scrutiny for campus handling of accusations.

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Weeks later, the university came under more criticism after the dean of students notified a Saudi national about sexual assault and rape allegations made against him. The student fled the country before the alleged victims could file a police report.

Johnson’s case surfaced March 9, when the female student obtained a temporary restraining order against him. He was briefly suspended from the football team, then reinstated when a civil no-contact order replaced the restraining order.

Three days after coach Robin Pflugrad welcomed Johnson back, and touted the "character and tremendous moral fiber" of the player he had known since Johnson was a boy, Engstrom announced he was not renewing the contracts of the coach or O’Day. Both were immediately relieved of their duties, with no explanation from Engstrom.

The move came after a season when Montana advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision semifinal game. The Grizzlies have advanced to the national title game seven times since 1995, winning twice

Last April, the federal Department of Education announced it was investigating a complaint alleging the university discriminated against female students, faculty and staff by failing to address a sexually hostile environmental caused by its failure to appropriately respond to reports of sexual assault.

Soon after, the U.S. Justice Department announced its investigation into the handling of rape investigations and prosecutions, and the school announced in May the NCAA had been investigating its athletic programs since January 2012 for undisclosed reasons. Those investigations continue.

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