DEVELOPING: Montana QB Found Not Guilty In Rape Case

((HT: Montanas News Station))

Suspended Montana Grizzlies QB Jordan Johnson was accused of rape in a case after a February 2012 incident where the woman involved said that she was raped while Johnson maintains the sex was consensual.

The jury deliberated for three hours before coming back with their not guilty verdict...

The jury deliberated over the idea that the woman said, in testimony, shortly after they started kissing that Johnson pulled off her pants and forced her to have sex even though she told him "no" multiple times.

Johnson, when he took the stand, said the woman let him completely undress her and that she never told him "no." He also said that, if she did, he would have stopped.

One exchange with his attorney:

Defense Attorney Kirsten Pabst: "Why would you have stopped?"

Johnson: "Because that's how I was raised by my parents is to respect people."

Here's Johnson's testimony in full from earlier in the week...
((HT: Montana Kaimin))


More when we know more...

6 Arrested, 4 Suspended In Montana Football Program After "Disco Bloodbath"

((HT: MontanasNewsStation.com/KZBK))

Not that the Montana Grizzlies program needed any more bad news associated with it...

BUT...

It all started over the weekend with six football players arrested on drug charges as they were attending a party at a place called the "Disco Bloodbath."

The HQ isn't kidding...

Griz tackle Trevor Poole is up on a felony charge of "criminal possession of dangerous drugs"- which sounds pretty serious...

Here was early coverage of the Bloodbath...
((HT: KPAX-TV))


Bail was set at $50,000, and he was supposed to show up in court Monday afternoon.

Montana AD Kent Haslam told the media that Poole has been suspended indefinitely pending a resolution of his charges. Three additional players (linebacker Nick Holt, linebacker John Kanongata'a, and offensive lineman Kjelby Oiland) are now suspended for the Weber State game pending more discipline from head football coach Mick Delaney.

"It is an unfortunate situation, but expectations are clear," Delaney said in a press release. "I will not go in to particulars about why the three were suspended, but I can say it does not involve law enforcement. I feel it is my responsibility to hold players accountable."

This is the latest in a group of problems that the athletic program has had to face in recent months. The New York Times Jim Robbins detailed the investigations involving a high number of sexual assault charges on campus with football players being the focus. 

Robbins' required reading involves knowledge of an investigation by the Department of Justice under Title IX, Title IV, and campus (and local) authorities handling of the alleged assaults. Back in April, the head coach at the time, Robin Pflugrad, and then-AD Jim O'Day were fired as a result of the initial investigation.

More when Poole appears in court...

Montana fires coach and AD at the same time

University of Montna football stadium

((ht: bozemandailychronicle.com))

Well, it certainly wasn't a good day to be a top administrator in the University of Montana's athletic department.

School president Royce Engstrom announced Thursday morning that Athletic Director Jim O'Day and head football coach Robin Pflugrad were fired. Engstrom didn't give a reason for the firings, but the school and the athletic department in particular have been under heavy scrutiny after a string of sexual assualt allegations over the past few years and major heat for the way they've been handled.

Oh...the team is in the midst of spring practice too.

The whole story from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle RIGHT HERE

While the school didn't specify why O'Day and Pflugrad were fired, you can bet they found something wrong when investigating the goings on with the team. No, since we don't follow Montana football closely, we don't have specifics. But we've been in and around business long enough to know that when heads start rolling like this, with this kind of timing, somebody is in a whole heap of trouble.

The only question: How bad will it be?

Here's Pflugrad after his dismissal...
((HT: KXLH-TV Helena))