BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff is accused of raping, strangling and biting a woman in a lawsuit filed in Utah state court on Wednesday (May 21), which was obtained by ESPN.

The woman, identified as Jane Doe A.G. in the lawsuit, claims that the incident took place at Retzlaff's home in November 2023.

"A year and half after the rape and strangulation, Jane Doe A.G. continues to experience extreme post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma symptoms as she works to process what happened and move on," the lawsuit states via ESPN.

Retzlaff's attorney, Mark Baute, denied the accusations and called his client "factually innocent."

"We look forward to proving that innocence," Baute said via ESPN. "Jake's focus this year will be on football. We don't try cases in the media, we will respect the process and establish Jake's innocence through the judicial system."

BYU also issued a statement acknowledging that it was aware of the lawsuit on Wednesday.

"The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX," the school said via ESPN. "Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment."

The Provo Police Department said it received a call from a woman on November 27, 2023, giving a similar account of the alleged incident, but "cannot be certain our police report is the same" as the civil lawsuit "does not identify the victim." The department said the woman was "given several opportunities to identify her abuser" but declined to, which resulted in the case being closed without charges filed.

The Provo Police Department said it collected evidence, which was examined and led to "no actionable investigative leads."

"The civil suit states that Provo Police personnel discouraged the victim from proceeding, by telling her there is no justice for victims of sexual abuse," the department's statement said via ESPN. "From everything we have reviewed, this is not true. We have a team of dedicated investigators and victim advocates whose sole mission is to provide justice to victims of sexual abuse. They do not send people away, warning them there is no justice for victims."

Retzlaff took over as the Cougars' full-time starting quarterback in 2024, throwing for 2,947 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on 213 of 368 passing, while also recording 417 yards and six touchdowns on 100 rushing attempts and leading BYU to an 11-2 record (7-2 Big 12).

The Afternoon News with Kitty O'Neal