BYU QB Jake Retzlaff Accused Of Sexual Assault In Civil Lawsuit
May 21, 2025, 2:46 PM | Updated: May 27, 2025, 1:37 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – BYU football quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of sexual assault in a civil lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed in Third District Court in Salt Lake County on Wednesday, May 21. KSL Sports obtained a copy of the lawsuit.
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff accused of Sexual Assault in Civil Lawsuit
Jake Retzlaff is listed as a defendant in the case, with Jane Doe A.G. as the plaintiff. He has not been charged with a crime.
The lawsuit alleges that Jane Doe A.G. and Retzlaff connected over social media in October 2023. At that time, Retzlaff was in his first year as a player in the BYU football program.
In the lawsuit, Jane Doe A.G. alleges the interaction occurred on or around November 22, 2023. Retzlaff invited Jane Doe A.G. to “hang out and play video games.” The lawsuit alleges that “Retzlaff raped, strangled, and bit Jane Doe A.G.”
Jane Doe A.G. alleges at some point, the two began to kiss, but she did not want to do anything more. The anonymous plaintiff claimed Retzlaff continued to escalate the situation while she tried to de-escalate and “slow things down”. Jane Doe A.G. “wanted to leave but was scared and felt like she could not get away.”
At one point during the assault, Jane Doe A.G. alleges she was in “so much pain” that she passed out.
The lawsuit later states, a rape kit was performed and pictures taken of the cut on her lip and the bruises around her neck and on her inner thighs.
According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe A.G. connected with the Provo Police Department but initially “did not share his name because the officer she spoke to said if she did, detectives would show up at Retzlaff’s house to question him and would share her name with him. She was scared and in shock and not ready to confront him.”
The lawsuit added that “at some point after speaking to the police, an officer reached out to her asking for the name because someone else filed a complaint against a football player and the police wanted to see if it was the same person.”
Retzlaff’s attorney issues a statement
Mark Baute, an attorney claiming to represent Retzlaff, said in a written statement to KSL Sports, the starting BYU quarterback “is a nice young man” and that “he is also factually innocent, and we look forward to proving that innocence.”
BYU issues statement on civil lawsuit involving Jake Retzlaff
Brigham Young University issued a statement on the civil lawsuit Wednesday afternoon.
“BYU became aware today that a civil lawsuit involving Jake Retzlaff had been filed this morning. The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX. Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment.”
Jake Retzlaff has been the starting quarterback for BYU football since November 2023. Retzlaff was part of a BYU team with an 11-2 record and an Alamo Bowl victory last season.
Statement from Provo Police Department
As of 7:05 p.m. (MDT) on Wednesday, May 21, Provo Police Department issued a statement to KSL Sports in response to the rape allegation in the civil suit.
“The Provo Police Department is aware of a civil suit involving an allegation of rape made by an anonymous plaintiff against a BYU football player. Provo Police Department has not been served any legal filing relating to this civil case.
“The civil suit includes enough detail of the alleged assault for the department to identify a possible correlating case report. Our records show that on November 27th, 2023, our department received a phone report from a woman with the initials A.G. who gave a similar account. She was treated with courtesy and care. The complainant in that case was given several opportunities to identify her abuser. She declined to do so, as is her right, and the case was subsequently closed. Collected evidence was examined, and it revealed no actionable investigative leads. Our victim advocates followed up several times to offer services but received no response. Because the civil suit does not identify the victim, we cannot be certain our police report is the same incident referenced by the plaintiff, but it does seem likely given the information we have.
“The civil suit states that Provo Police personnel discouraged the victim from proceeding, by telling her there is no justice for victims of sexual abuse. From everything we have reviewed, this is not true. We have a team of dedicated investigators and victim advocates whose sole mission is to provide justice to victims of sexual abuse. They do not send people away, warning them there is no justice for victims. Our Special Victims Unit investigations regularly result in criminal accountability for offenders. We hope the plaintiff chooses to make a statement to further the criminal investigation if desired.
“We will continue to assist and serve all victims of abuse.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
