Petition seeks removal of Youngstown State player convicted of rape

A Change.org petiton started by a Youngstown State student seeking the removal of a player convicted in a rape case from the school's football team has over 6,000 signatures.

The player, Ma'lik Richmond, was found delinquent in juvenile court in March 2013 of sexual assaulting a 16-year-old girl. The crime took place in 2012. Richmond was released from juvenile detention center within a year, and returned to Stubenville High School and its football team. He enrolled at Youngstown State in 2016, and joined the Penguins as a walk-on in January 2017.

The petition, started by Katelyn Davis, a student at the school, aims to obtain 7,500 signatures and will be sent to university president Jim Tressel and football coach Bo Pelini.

"I'm not saying that Richmond should be expelled; he does deserve a second chance at his education," she told Gabby Fellows of WKYC. "I do hope that he is successful in life, but he should not be representing YSU as a football player."

Pelini defended the decision to let Richmond join the team on Friday, telling Matt Stone of 21 News that his addition to the team came with "stipulations."