CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) — Illinois Men's Basketball guard and leading scorer, Terrence Shannon Jr., has been suspended from all team activities following rape charges in Kansas.
On Wednesday, an Illinois athletics representative stated Shannon traveled to Lawrence Kansas to present himself to authorities, posted bail, and is returning to Champaign.
The alleged incident occurred when Shannon traveled to Lawrence for the Illinois vs Kansas football game as a spectator on September 8.
Per policy, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) has suspended Shannon from all team activities, effective immediately.
Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) blocks the shot of Colgate's Brady Cummins during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Champaign, Ill. Illinois won 74-57. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Shannon is charged with rape, as defined under applicable Kansas law.
According to School officials, Shannon was not in Lawrence on official university business, nor was he a member of the university's travel party.
The University and DIA take allegations of sexual misconduct seriously while respecting due process and the presumption of innocence afforded through the legal system.
"The University and DIA have shown time and again that we have zero tolerance for sexual misconduct," Director of Athletics Josh Whitman said. "At the same time, DIA policy affords student-athletes appropriate levels of due process based on the nature and severity of the allegations. We will rely on that policy and our prior experiences to manage this situation appropriately for the University and the involved parties."
DIA and Urbana campus officials have been aware of a Lawrence police investigation into Shannon since late September but, until Wednesday, had yet to receive actionable information.
Shannon's arrest triggers the DIA student-athlete misconduct policy. Under that policy, Shannon has been immediately suspended from all team activities.
The booking entry for Terrence Shannon, Jr. from Douglas County, Kansas.
According to the charging document from Douglas County, Kansas, the penalty range for one count of rape ranges from 147 months to a maximum of 653 months.
Shannon's attorney, Mark P. Sutter of the Sutter Law Group, LLC, released the following statement:
"Since September, when these allegations surfaced, Terrence has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation, declaring his innocence from the beginning. Now, several months later, my office learned that formal charges were filed against him yesterday in Lawrence, KS. In less than 24 hours, my client responded, and he voluntarily surrendered to local authorities for processing and release. Terrence is innocent of these charges, and he intends to take his case to trial."
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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