The Texas Rangers have begun a preliminary investigation into Baylor’s handling of sexual assault cases.
A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed to ESPN.com on Wednesday that an investigation is in its early stages. The decision comes a couple of days after Texas legislators asked the agency to do so. Texas state representative Roland Gutierrez issued a resolution last week asking the Rangers to get involved.
Gutierrez held a news conference on Monday with fellow state representatives Ana Hernandez, Carol Alvarado and Diana Arévalo.
“What has happened here in Waco, what happened at Baylor, is so far different from any university in the state,” Gutierrez said. “We can’t stop bad things from happening, but we sure as hell can demand accountability. We sure as hell can demand that people protect our children.”
Baylor fired coach Art Briles in May after an investigation into allegations of rape at the school showed it failed to comply with Title IX regulations and sometimes even discouraged the reporting of cases to proper authorities. Additionally, Baylor police were alleged to have concealed files and failed to properly investigate cases that were reported. Baylor president Ken Starr was first reassigned before resigning, and athletic director Ian McCaw left the program as well.
In a separate Title IX lawsuit filed in January, additional claims were made that there had been 52 acts of rape committed by 31 different Baylor football players between 2011 and 2014.
