Katie’s Story: KU Football Players Play More Than Just Football

I was gang raped by six University of Kansas football players in November 1998. When I was leaving my friend’s apartment on the sixth floor, I exited the elevator, and there was D, from Austin, TX. D was someone I had met in June 1998 during the KU freshman summer program. D asked me what I was doing, and if I wanted to come into his apartment. I agreed, and entered the apartment where there were at least ten other football players. I settled in, and was given a drink… I believe the drink was dosed with something. The next thing that happened was I was taken to one of the bedrooms, thrown on the bed and my pants were removed. The lights were off in the room, but the hall light was on, so I could kind of see what was going on. Six football players lined up, handed out condoms, and each one raped me. D was among the six, and I only remember one other guy, who was referred to as, “S” When I was being raped, I kept saying, “D, take me home! D take me home!”. Eventually the rape was over, and D took me home to my dorm. On the ride home, D told me if I told anyone, they would come after me, my family and my friends. I didn’t tell anyone for over a year. I was scared to report the rape to the police because I didn’t think I would be believed, since all of the rapers wore condoms, and if my blood were tested for drugs, they would see alcohol, marijuana, and whatever I was dosed with, and think I was taking those drugs for fun. I also knew that I could only positively identify two of the rapers, D and S, so who would believe me? It was the word of all the football players, versus little me. I was scared. Twenty years later, I still suffer from nightmares.