Report: Woman who accused BYU QB Jake Retzlaff of sexual assault withdraws civil case

The woman who accused BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff of sexual assault withdrew her civil case, according to Sam Herrera of KSL TV5. This comes on the heels of Retzlaff reportedly intending to transfer as well.

As of Sunday, Retzlaff anticipated a seven-game suspension for violating BYU’s honor code. The alleged incident stemmed from November 2023.

The quarterback has denied the allegations through his attorney, per the Tribune, and noted in a legal filing on Friday that he had “consensual” sex with the accuser. BYU’s honor code sets strict guidelines for its students, including the prohibition of premarital sex.

If Retzlaff does indeed transfer, he should have no issue since he already graduated from BYU. He reportedly began informing players and staff around the program of his plan.

Retzlaff threw for 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns a year ago, while throwing 12 interceptions. He also ran for 417 yards and six scores.

Reports of the civil lawsuit against Jake Retzlaff emerged in late May. The woman, identified in legal documents as “Jane Doe A.G.,” alleges Retzlaff assaulted her in November 2023 inside his home after they’d connected over social media and had been messaging for a month, per the Tribune.

She was suing Retzlaff in civil court for alleged assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and is asking the court for punitive damages from him, the Tribune reported. Retzlaff was not been charged criminally.

Though the alleged victim revealed she originally met with police after having a rape kit exam done at a hospital days after the alleged assault, she initially withheld Retzlaff’s name, per the Tribune. According to her lawsuit, the woman admits she eventually identified Retzlaff to Provo police after an officer asked her because “someone else filed a complaint against a football player and police wanted to see if it was the same person,” the Tribune reports.

The lawsuit also alleged that Provo officers encouraged her not to pursue any further criminal charges, reportedly telling her “sexual assault victims never get justice,” per the Tribune. Retzlaff and his family declined comment when contacted by The Salt Lake Tribune, while both BYU and Provo police did not respond to multiple requests for comment, the paper reports.

Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report