LSU football star Damien Shanklin is being investigated by police after being accused of rape. He denies the allegation.It has also emerged that the defensive end had a one-year suspension from playing reduced to probation upon appeal after the LSU Office of Civil Rights and Title IX found him responsible for ‘forcible rape.’A police report was filed by a woman who said the redshirt freshman raped her in October 2025.The Title IX investigation by the school found him responsible, according to ESPN, but he is now being investigated by campus police and the district attorney after the alleged victim asked police to pursue a criminal complaint.The case is now an ‘ongoing investigation,’ according to LSU police, while the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office has confirmed it is collecting materials and investigating but declined to make further comment to ESPN.Shanklin has denied the allegations through his attorneys, Grant L Willis and Morgan H Johnson from the Taylor Porter Law firm, who told the Daily Mail: ‘Damien Shanklin maintains his innocence regarding the events that occurred on October 18, 2025 and will fully cooperate with the criminal investigation. Damien Shanklin is being investigated by police over an alleged rape of a fellow LSU student Shanklin was found responsible for ‘forcible rape’ by a Title IX investigation but had his punishment – a one-year suspension from the school – reduced to probation after he appealed ‘What has been portrayed on social media and in the news thus far, is not a full account of all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this situation.’Given this an ongoing criminal investigation, all facts are not publicly available to not compromise the criminal investigation. We simply ask that the court of public opinion cease to make any assumptions about any person involved until more information is publicly available.’Mr. Shanklin looks forward to the day when all information surrounding this incident is brought to light and becomes public knowledge. Mr. Shanklin will have no further comment until the criminal investigation is concluded.’After Shanklin was found responsible for ‘forcible rape’ by the school Title IX investigation in July, he was issued a one-year suspension that included a full ban from campus and activities, according to documents obtained by ESPN. Upon appeal, an administrative law judge upheld the finding but reduced the punishment to four semesters of probation allowing him to remain enrolled and on campus.Shanklin, a four-star recruit from Indianapolis, played in five games last year as a true freshman but has not appeared in any games so far this year and was not with the team practicing before the season. ‘He is not practicing with the team right now and that’s all I can comment on that,’ coach Lane Kiffin said about Shanklin on August 12. In her August 25 decision, Administrative Law Judge Janet Waguespack called the initial punishment ‘exceedingly harsh’, pointing out he had no prior disciplinary history at the school and the incident ‘occurred only on one occasion and the time was brief’.ESPN reports she noted Shanklin attempted to console the woman and that there was ‘both consensual and nonconsensual activity’ between them. Shanklin played in five games in 2025 as a true freshman defensive end for the LSU Tigers Shanklin was not practicing with the team in preseason and has not appeared in any gamesIn a statement on September 22, the school said: ‘LSU confirmed the university is aware of a formal police report being filed alleging a sexual assault, last year, involving a student athlete. ‘The incident, which occurred in October of 2025, was first reported to police by the student athlete himself, but no criminal complaint was filed. At the same time, LSU properly followed its Title IX policy and processes to a conclusion.’ The alleged victim, Kendall Francis, made her allegations public on September 14 in a TikTok video and told WAFB Channel 9 she feels the ‘university failed her’ in its response after she claims she was ‘sexually assaulted’ after going to an LSU dorm room to meet a football player she met through social media. In a tearful interview, the ‘first generation student’ said: ‘It just sucks that my experience has to be like this and I’ve had to experience such things. And the fact that the university didn’t take care of it appropriately is just not OK.’I was under the impression that because they found him responsible still, that LSU would do their part or that criminal charges were supposed to be pursued and that never happened.’LSU president Wade Rousse has insisted the incident ‘has been handled professionally’ and followed the right processes. ‘LSU and its current administration take very seriously any allegations of misconduct involving students on our campuses. Safety and security must be our number one priority,’ LSU president Wade Rousse said in a statement on September 22. ‘Let me assure everyone that this incident has been handled professionally and that LSU has strictly followed our policies, procedures and best practices, including the Title IX process, to guide our actions to date. Shanklin committed to LSU when Brian Kelly was head coach before Lane Kiffin was hired’Now that a criminal complaint has been filed, our role is to continue cooperating with our law enforcement partners as they work through their investigatory process.’A Louisiana state lawmaker, State Rep. Vanessa Caston LaFleur, wants to take a closer look at the Title IX process and handling of such cases.She told WAFB Channel 9 last week: ‘I want to be clear. LSU followed the law here. They followed the procedures here.’This is not about whether or not LSU did what they were supposed to do. They did what they were supposed to do. The question here is, where do we pick up where victims then know what their next steps are.’