Nashville, TN – Vanderbilt wide receiver Chris Boyd was dismissed from the Commodores' football program Tuesday for his role in a pending rape case involving four former players.
The decision comes less than a week after Boyd pled guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge of criminal intent. The redshirt junior had initially been charged as an accessory after the fact, a felony, after Nashville police uncovered evidence that he had advised the defendants on ways to cover up the alleged crime.
Boyd, who caught 50 passes for 774 yards for Vanderbilt last season and was on the 2013 Biletnikoff Award watch list, had been suspended indefinitely from the team pending the outcome of his case. The 21-year-old will serve 11 months and 29 days on probation and his record will be expunged if he completes the probation.
"Vanderbilt's athletic administration, in conjunction with its head football coach, today dismissed Chris Boyd from the university's football team and athletic program," Vanderbilt vice chancellor for public affairs Beth Fortune said in a statement Tuesday. "The action came after an ongoing review that included information disclosed during a hearing Sept. 13 in Davidson County Criminal Court."
Prosecutors said Boyd erased a video of the alleged sexual assault of an unconscious 21-year-old female student that took place inside Brandon Vandenburg's campus dorm room on June 23.
"The review concluded that Mr. Boyd's admitted actions are clearly inconsistent with the high standards of behavior expected of our student- athletes," continued Fortune.
Vandenburg, Cory Batey, Brandon Banks and Jaborian McKenzie are each charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. Vandenburg also is charged with one count of unlawful photography and tampering with evidence.
McKenzie transferred to Alcorn State and played in the FCS school's loss at Mississippi State on Sept. 7, but has since been kicked off the team.
All four are free on bonds ranging from $50,000 to $350,000 and are expected in court Oct. 16.
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