Report: Former Auburn tight end accused of rape

Landon Rice, a former tight end for Auburn, has been accused of rape stemming from an incident in April, according to a report from Michael Niziolek of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.

A 19-year-old female filed an incident report with the Auburn Police Department on July 27 stating that she had been raped on April 12 inside the South Donahue Residence Hall, a dorm that is home to most of the football team. She also filed for a protective order against Rice on Sept. 12, and was granted a temporary order on Sept. 15, with a court hearing scheduled for October.

The accuser requested the protective order as she was worried about abuse in "retaliation from a Title IX investigation," which must be launched by any federally funded education program anytime there is an accusation of sexual discrimination, including sexual harassment.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn announced last week that Rice was no longer with the team due to "personal reasons." An Auburn spokesperson declined to comment to the Ledger-Enquirer if the school was aware of the incident and would not discuss if it had any impact on Rice leaving the program.

The case is currently considered "inactive," though that doesn't mean it is closed, and Rice has not been arrested or charged with anything.

Rice, a four-star member of Auburn's 2016 recruiting class, was in his freshman season. His brother, Logan Rice, is a sophomore wide receiver on the team.