Report: Oklahoma RB Kennedy Brooks set to return to team after Title IX ruling in his favor
Oklahoma running back Kennedy Brooks has reportedly been cleared of any wrongdoing by a school misconduct panel and will be reinstated to the football team.
According to the Athletic, Brooks has been absent from the football team as officials investigated a Title IX complaint lodged against him by a woman who said that Brooks was violent toward her.
The alleged victim did not file a complaint with police, instead filing a complaint with the Title IX office. A complaint triggers an investigation entirely separate from any legal proceedings. The complainant and respondent are entitled to legal counsel that can be present but cannot participate directly in any meetings or hearings.
Title IX panels can find a student guilty of misconduct on a more likely than not basis and can hand down a suspension or even expulsion for the offending student. Per Sooner Scoop, the ruling allowing Brooks to return to the team was handed down Tuesday afternoon.
Brooks’ absence from the team was first publicly mentioned Monday.
[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo College Fantasy Football league for free today]
Brooks a preseason All-Big 12 selection
The ruling in favor of Brooks comes on the same day the Big 12’s preseason all-conference team was released. Brooks was one of six Oklahoma players who received preseason all-conference honors and was listed as a running back on the first team.
Brooks started the 2018 season as the third option in Oklahoma’s backfield and quickly became a major contributor after Rodney Anderson suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Brooks averaged nearly nine yards a carry in 2018 and ended the season as Oklahoma’s leading rusher with 1,056 yards on just 119 carries. With now-Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray also rushing for 1,000 yards, Oklahoma became the first offense to have two 1,000-yard rushers, a 4,000-yard passer (Murray) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Marquise Brown, CeeDee Lamb).
- - - - - - -
Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
More from Yahoo Sports:
