Four Vanderbilt football players who were kicked off their team in June after school officials saw security footage of them engaging in "suspicious behavior" and notified the police have been charged with raping an unconscious woman in a dorm room. 20-year-old Brandon Vandenburg, 19-year-old Tip McKenzie, and Corey Batey were arrested and hit with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery on Friday. The fourth player, 19-year-old Brandon Banks, is still at large, according to The Tennessean. Their respective bonds range from $350,000 to $500,000.
District Attorney General Torry Johnson said, "Although four people are being charged at this time, the investigation is still on-going into the actions of other individuals and the role[s] they may have played in this incident." Additionally, five current Vanderbilt players are listed as witnesses for the prosecution and could be subpoenaed if the case goes to trial. Citing his pride in "the community," Vanderbilt, and the football team, coach James Franklin said on Friday that "whenever something doesn't happen that's positive for all three of those things, it breaks my heart." However, when asked if the allegations would distract the remaining players from preparations for their August 29 opening game, he assured The Tennessean that "the team is moving on."
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terrible things
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