An Onondaga County grand jury has decided not to pursue criminal prosecution against three players on the Syracuse men’s basketball team, an SU spokesman said Saturday.

Jonny Flynn, Antonio ‘Scoop’ Jardine and Rick Jackson – all rising sophomores – testified Friday in a grand jury hearing investigating the alleged sexual assault of a female student last year.

SU spokesman Kevin Morrow said the university learned midday Saturday that the three players would not be criminally prosecuted, and deferred all specifics of the grand jury’s decision to the Onondaga District Attorney’s office.

The district attorney’s office could not be reached for comment.

With the grand jury’s investigation now complete, Morrow said the university’s own independent judicial process, pertaining to the Code of Student Conduct, will begin.

‘With the grand jury’s hearing decision, our hearing process will now proceed,’ Morrow said.

Morrow said the university’s process would begin, ‘at the earliest opportunity this month that can be arranged with the involved parties.’

The grand jury hearing was first reported by The Post-Standard Saturday morning, and involved two incidents between the players and the alleged victim last fall, according to the report. A grand jury hearing determines whether there is enough evidence for a trial.

In any case of a serious crime alleged against a student, the university works with the district attorney’s office to protect the integrity of a criminal investigation, Morrow said.

The grand jury investigation was the result of a failed resolution between the alleged victim, the players and the university after the girl’s mother met with Chancellor Nancy Cantor in November, the Post-Standard reported. The female student, who testified Wednesday, withdrew from the university for the spring semester, according to the article.

mghicken@syr.edu

Published on August 15, 2008 at 12:00 pm