This is a pretty crazy story and a sad reminder of how rape cases are treated at big universities, especially with athletes are involved. A newly filed lawsuit against the University of Tennessee accuses the school of not doing anything about rape complaints and even sitting by and watching as a member of the football team who helped a rape victim, was beat up by his teammates that were the once accused of rape in the first place.

@IamJoeSports

University of Tennessee football players confronted and assaulted wide receiver Drae Bowles as retribution for helping a woman who said she was raped by then-Volunteer players A.J. Johnson and Mike Williams, according to a federal lawsuit filed in Nashville on Tuesday.

Bowles took the woman to a hospital on the night of the alleged rape in November 2014 and supported her decision to report the incident to authorities, according to the lawsuit.

While the woman, a student-athlete, was meeting with executive senior associate athletics director Jon Gilbert, senior associate athletics director Mike Ward and her coach, she received a message from her roommate “who was witnessing at that moment several football players jumping” Bowles, the lawsuit says. The woman informed the athletics officials of the incident and was told they would “look into it,” according to the suit. The lawsuit says “athletic coaches were present during that altercation.”

Days later, the woman learned that Bowles was assaulted a second time at the team facility by the same players, the lawsuit says. She reported the second assault to university administrators as well.

Bowles eventually was forced to transfer to get away from the toxic situation. The lawsuit says, Williams told police in November 2014 that then-Tennessee defensive back Geraldo Orta had “a hit” out on Bowles.

According to the lawsuit, Orta, a Valdosta, Ga., native, told University of Tennessee police he felt “Bowles betrayed the team and that where (Orta) came from, people got shot for doing what Bowles did.”

This is just insane and you can read more about it HERE. Williams and Johnson were charged with two counts each of aggravated rape and are awaiting separate trials. Both have pleaded not guilty. Williams’ trial is set for June 27 and Johnson’s is set for July 18.