Florida State University is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights for the handling of the Jameis Winston rape case, USA TODAY reported.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education told USA TODAY the school is being investigated for a Title IX complaint.
On Dec. 7, 2012, a student at Florida State reported she was raped by Winston, a star quarterback and Heisman recipient. According to Deadspin, authorities did not approach Winston about the allegations until January.
The Title IX law, enacted in 1972, requires that colleges and universities receiving federal funds must investigate sexual assault claims and provide a timely response to those claims. If the law is violated, it can result in the government revoking federal funds.
On Dec. 5, 2013, authorities announced Winston would not face charges. However, the woman filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in March -- putting the investigation back into the spotlight, USA TODAY said.
"These procedures must apply to all students, including athletes. If a complaint of sexual violence involved a student athlete, the school must follow its standard procedures for resolving sexual violence complaints," the OCR says.
On Thursday, FSU sent a statement to USA TODAY Sports.
"State and federal privacy laws prohibit the university from commenting on any individual case. Generally speaking, students at any time have the right to avail themselves of the Student Code of Conduct, which sets high expectations for the university community and provides a way to adjudicate grievances. The Code of Conduct imposes no time limits on when an aggrieved student may file a complaint or when new information can be considered. The university evaluates all information it receives and acts on it when appropriate. We take seriously the trust and privacy of the entire university community."
