Police Investigate Rape Allegation Against LSU Football Player

An LSU football player whose suspension was overturned in a Title IX case is under investigation by campus police and the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office over an allegation that he raped a female student last fall. Defensive end Damien Shanklin maintains his innocence through his attorneys.

Kendall Francis asked police in September to pursue a criminal case against Shanklin. She first made her allegations public in a TikTok video posted Sept. 14.

LSU police described the matter as an “ongoing investigation.” The district attorney’s office confirmed in a statement that it is investigating and collecting materials but declined to comment further.

Shanklin’s attorneys, Grant Willis and Morgan H. Johnson of the Taylor Porter law firm, said Thursday that their client would cooperate fully with the criminal investigation. They said Shanklin would not comment until that investigation is complete.

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LSU found Shanklin responsible for “forcible rape” in July and issued a suspension for one year, according to documents reviewed by ESPN. The punishment included a complete ban from campus and activities.

Shanklin appealed, and Administrative Law Judge Janet Waguespack upheld the finding that he was responsible for “forcible rape.” However, she reduced the punishment to four semesters of probation with no restrictions.

The revised punishment allows Shanklin to remain enrolled, stay on campus and participate in activities as long as he stays out of trouble. In her Aug. 25 decision, Waguespack described the original punishment as “exceedingly harsh.”

Waguespack cited Shanklin’s lack of prior disciplinary history at LSU and the brief duration of the incident. She also noted that the encounter included consensual and nonconsensual activity, that there was no malice or force, and that Shanklin tried to console Francis and expressed concern about her mental health.

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Francis said in her TikTok video that she received and read the appeal report while attending class at the beginning of the semester. She said learning that Shanklin remained responsible for rape but could participate in football and other organizations worsened her anxiety because she did not want to encounter him.

When ESPN contacted Francis on Tuesday, she said she had retained an attorney and declined further comment. Eugene Collins, a former president of the NAACP Baton Rouge branch who is serving as her advocate, said Francis went to police after the university let her down.

Title IX documents and police reports obtained by ESPN say both students agreed that their initial sexual contact on Oct. 18, 2025, in Shanklin’s residence hall room was consensual. Francis said Shanklin then penetrated her without consent for about 20 seconds, despite her telling him to stop.

Shanklin said he intentionally began with Francis and asked whether she wanted him to stop, but she did not respond, according to the documents. He said he continued for about 20 seconds before she told him to stop, and he then stopped.

Records say Francis later texted Shanklin that she wanted to go “to the hospital for a rape kit” and made comments about wanting to “end my life.” Shanklin’s mother contacted Francis and asked her “not to do anything to jeopardize [Shanklin’s] career,” according to the records.

The police report states that after Shanklin asked Francis not to report the incident, she asked how much money she would receive if she accepted that offer. Title IX documents say Shanklin sent her $1,000 through a cash app.

Campus police officers went to the football operations center around noon on Oct. 18 after Shanklin sought to report the situation because of potential accusations and concerns about Francis’ mental health. Officers later visited Francis, determined that “her mental state was unstable” and took her to a hospital, where she said she underwent a rape kit.

The Title IX office received the police report on Dec. 9, 2025, and contacted Francis, who then filed a formal complaint. Shanklin played five games during the 2025 season as a true freshman under coaches Brian Kelly and Frank Wilson, including three after Oct. 18.

Those appearances included the Dec. 27 Texas Bowl, which took place weeks after police sent their report to the Title IX office. Shanklin has not played this season.

Asked about Shanklin’s absence from fall camp in August, LSU coach Lane Kiffin, in his first year, told reporters, “He is not practicing with the team right now, and that’s all I can comment on that.”

Collins said Francis received counseling through a local nonprofit but was not offered academic assistance. He said she failed many classes last year, moved to online school and now faces delayed graduation and financial hardship.

LSU spokesperson Meg Casper Sunstrom said she could not answer questions about assistance provided to Francis. She said LSU properly followed its Title IX policies and processes, while LSU president Wade Rousse said the matter had been handled professionally and according to university procedures and best practices.

In 2020, LSU hired Husch Blackwell to review its handling of sexual assault complaints following several incidents involving athletes. A report of 148 pages issued in March 2021 found multiple failures in the university’s responses to sexual assault and misconduct complaints, its Title IX staffing and its handling of complaints involving athletics.

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