PROVO, Utah — A civil lawsuit filed Wednesday against BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff claims the Cougars' star raped a woman and forced her to perform sexual acts against her will.
The lawsuit filed in the Third Judicial District Court in Salt Lake County alleges Retzlaff sexually assaulted the woman, identified as Jane Doe A.G. in court filings, during a Nov. 2023 incident when she and friends went to the quarterback's Provo home to play video games.
According to Jane Doe A.G., when the two went to watch a movie alone, they began to kiss before she allegedly said she "did not want to do anything more." At that point, the woman claimed Retzlaff "began escalating the situation," and groped her body.
Jane Doe A.G. said she attempted to pull away and told Retzlaff that she did not want to do anything sexual. She claimed that she "wanted to leave, but was scared and felt like she could not get away."
The woman said Retzlaff moved her body to perform a sexual act, but that she "reacted in a way that made Retzlaff angry," and that the BYU student began to shout at her. Jane Doe A.G. said she panicked and decided to lay down in bed with Retzlaff until her phone was charged.
Once Jane Doe A.G. said Retzlaff was "snoring," she attempted to get up and leave, but Retzlaff allegedly "pushed her back down onto the bed, and started to forcefully kiss her." Jane Doe A.G. then details other alleged assault acts, including a claim that Retzlaff put his hands around her neck so she couldn't breathe.
At that point, Jane Doe A.G. said Retzlaff raped her, causing "so much pain that [she] passed out."
Jane Doe A.G. said that when she awoke, she fled Retzlaff's home. Days later, she said she went to a hospital where rape kit tests were performed and she had "pictures taken of the cut on her lip and the bruises around her neck and on her inner thighs."
When speaking with Provo Police, Jane Doe A.G. said she wouldn't share Retzlaff's name after learning they would question him, adding that "she was scared and in shock and not ready to confront him."
The lawsuit claims that "at some point," a police officer reached out to Jane Doe A.G. about the name because someone else had filed a complaint about a football player, and they wanted to know if it was the same person. It was then that Jane Doe A.G. shared Retzlaff's name.
In a release on Wednesday evening, the Provo Police Department shared that its records showed it had received a complaint with a similar accounting as the lawsuit on November 27, 2023.
"She was treated with courtesy and care," the release said. "The complainant in that case was given several opportunities to identify her abuser. She declined to do so, as is her right, and the case was subsequently closed."
Police added that all evidence they collected evidence was examined, "and it revealed no actionable investigative leads. Our victim advocates followed up several times to offer services but received no response."
The department also responded to accusations in the lawsuit that Provo Police officers discouraged Jane Doe A.G. from filing an report at the time of the incident.
"From everything we have reviewed, this is not true. We have a team of dedicated investigators and victim advocates whose sole mission is to provide justice to victims of sexual abuse. They do not send people away, warning them there is no justice for victims."
Retzlaff led BYU to an 11-2 record and an Alamo Bowl appearance last season in his first year as the team's starting quarterback.
Hours after the lawsuit was filed, school officials shared a brief statement on the allegations made against Retzlaff.
"The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX. Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment."
