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Montana Will Pay Jordan Johnson $245,000 Over Rape Charges

The University of Montana campus.
Josh Burnham
/
Montana Public Radio
State and university system officials decided it was best to settle accusations that a prominent rape case was mishandled rather than reopen the matter.

State and university system officials decided it was best to settle accusations that a prominent rape case was mishandled rather than reopen the matter. As a result, former University of Montana quarterback Jordan Johnson will be paid $245,000.

Johnson was accused of raping a woman in 2012. A University court recommended he be expelled. Johnson appealed, and his expulsion was overturned by Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian.

In 2013 Jordan was acquitted of rape by a jury in Missoula district court.

Kalispell attorney Dale Cockrell was hired to represent the state in the mediation and settlement. He says the state would have prevailed in a lawsuit over the investigation, but officials believed it was best to settle the matter.

"As with any type of claim there were a number of factual issues - a number of legal issues - that were unresolved. Given the nature of those claims we believed it was in everybody’s best interest to attempt to try to reach a resolution to see if we could settle the claim and we were able to do so."

Johnson’s attorney, David Paoli, says university officials predetermined Johnson’s guilt and ran a biased investigation; allegations, Cockrell says, his clients deny.

Edward O’Brien first landed at Montana Public Radio three decades ago as a news intern while attending the UM School of Journalism. He covers a wide range of stories from around the state.
edward.obrien@umt.edu.  
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