An incoming Penn freshman was accused of sexual assault in a legal complaint, The Boston Globe reported Wednesday.
According to the complaint Chukwudi "Chudi" Ikpeazu, a student at Phillips Exeter Academy, allegedly assaulted his fellow classmate Michaella Henry in a church basement last fall.
"She said her classmate, a towering star athlete, had slipped his hands inside her shirt and squeezed her backside as she said “no” over and over again," the Globe article said.
Ikpeazu was set to attend Penn this fall as a part of the University's varsity track and field team, according to a profile published by Phillips Exeter's student newspaper in April.
The University responded to the news of Ikpeazu's sexual assault charges on Wednesday with a statement that Ikpeazu's admissions status was "currently on hold."
"There is an ongoing investigation into these allegations that is in the hands of the judicial system," the statement said. "The University takes any accusations of sexual harassment or violence seriously so the student’s admission status is currently on hold pending any further developments in the matter.
The University's track and field team deferred a request for comment to the University's statement.
The Globe article drew attention and criticism to the prestigious boarding school's handling of the sexual assault case. The article said that when Henry sought out help from school officials about the incident, the campus minister arranged for Ikpeazu to bake Henry bread and bring it to her weekly as an "act of penance."
After Henry notified local authorities of the assault in May, Ikpeazu turned himself in to police on June 3 for a misdemeanor charge of sexual assault, the Globe reported. He was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bail and will be brought to court in August, according to the article.
Ikpeazu's lawyer and Henry's legal team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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