HIKE

Rape Inquiry of Heisman Winner Begins

Florida State QB Jameis Winston.

Jameis Winston was accused of raping a female student two years ago, but it took until now for Florida State University to begin investigating the matter. The accuser’s attorney, John Clune, said Thursday that the university interviewed his client, a former student, last month. Clune said it’s the first time FSU has received a detailed account of the accusations against its star quarterback. The state attorney’s office opened an investigation last year into the alleged rape, which became public in November, but charges were not filed and Winston was never arrested. (He denies wrongdoing.) The university doesn’t have to prove a crime “beyond a reasonable doubt” to go after Winston, as prosecutors do. Under Title IX, the federal law demanding gender equity in public accomodations, the school must find only that it’s more likely than not that the alleged sexual assault occured.