Arizona faces Title IX lawsuit over handling of allegations against ex-RB

A woman filed a Title IX lawsuit Tuesday against Arizona over the way the university handled assault allegations against former running back Orlando Bradford while he was on the football team.

The woman's attorneys claim university officials, including coaches and senior athletics department staffers, turned a blind eye to the accusations:

"... (They were) repeatedly notified that Mr. Bradford was engaging in predatory behavior toward female students and posed a substantial risk of harm to female U of A students," the lawsuit contends, according to ESPN's Mark Schlabach. "Among other things, officials learned that Mr. Bradford had beaten, choked and threatened women on campus, along with other acts of dating violence.

"In response, the University took virtually no action: It failed to open a Title IX investigation, failed to take measures to protect the affected students and potential future victims, and failed to impose any discipline on Mr. Bradford apart from limiting his access to campus dormitories. Instead, the University ultimately promoted Mr. Bradford to a starting running back position for the fall 2016 football season."

Bradford was dismissed from the Wildcats following an arrest in September 2016, in which he allegedly hit and choked his girlfriend. The woman involved in that incident is different from the one suing the school.

In one of the episodes chronicled in the lawsuit, the woman says Bradford dragged her across her apartment floor and choked her until she escaped. Police were called to the apartment after neighbors heard screams.

In another part of the lawsuit, the woman says Bradford harassed and stalked her after she tried to end their relationship in June 2016, and at one point threatened to murder her.

Bradford is serving a five-year jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to two counts of felony aggravated assault in November.