KU basketball player Arterio Morris has been charged with rape and dismissed from the team.
The complaint, which the Douglas County district attorney’s office filed on Monday, alleges that Morris raped an 18-year-old woman who was overcome by force or fear on Aug. 26. The charge is a level-1, or high-severity, felony.
KUPD investigated the incident. The complaint lists three other KU basketball players as witnesses, which does not necessarily mean they are eyewitnesses but that law enforcement believes they may have information related to an alleged crime.
Update:
• Prosecutors dismiss rape case against ex-KU basketball player, citing ‘insufficient evidence’, April 10, 2024
Morris, 20, was booked into the Douglas County jail on a warrant early Friday morning. He posted a $75,000 surety bond and was released after about an hour, jail records show. He is not to have contact with any victim or civilian witnesses in the case as a condition of his bond.
“When we learned of allegations regarding Arterio Morris, he was suspended from the Kansas men’s basketball program,” coach Bill Self said in an emailed statement Friday morning. “We are now aware he has been arrested and charged, and he was dismissed from the program. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further at this time.”
Morris will have a first court appearance on Oct. 18. Online court records did not yet list an attorney representing him.
All arrestees and defendants in criminal cases should be presumed not guilty unless and until they are convicted.
Morris, who was on the team as a sophomore guard, was enrolled as a student as of Friday morning, according to a KU spokesperson.
Morris transferred to Kansas from Texas following the 2022-23 season, according to the bio that was on the basketball team’s website. He played for KU in exhibition games in August in Puerto Rico.
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Resources for survivors
If you have experienced sexual violence or trauma, please seek the help that’s right for you. There are many options available, and you don’t have to file a police report if you don’t want to.
Get 24/7 help in Lawrence: The Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center
- Call 785-843-8985 to reach an advocate, 24/7. (Consider saving that number in your phone in case you or someone you know ever needs it.)
- After an assault: What are my options? Check this page for detailed information about
- talking to an advocate,
- going to the hospital,
- making a police report,
- and/or talking to a counselor or therapist.
- On campus? Check this page for specific resources for the University of Kansas, Haskell Indian Nations University, Baker University, Ottawa University and more.
Resources on KU’s campus:
- Contact CARE (Campus Assistance, Resource, and Education) Services: KU students can make an appointment online at careservices.ku.edu, by email, care@ku.edu, or by calling 785-864-9255. It’s free, confidential and voluntary to talk with the CARE Coordinator. All genders welcome. Read more here.
- Find more KU campus resources at this link. Specific information about sexual assault exams can be found under the “Medical Care” tab.
- Connect with KU CARE Companions on Instagram. (Note: CARE Companions are KU students in the Panhellenic community that offer peer support and info about resources, but this is not an advocacy service like others listed here.)
Domestic violence situations: The Willow Domestic Violence Center
- Reach the Willow for help 24/7 at 785-843-3333.
- Find more resources on the Willow’s website at this link.
More resources
- StrongHearts Native Helpline: Call 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) for 24/7 safe, confidential and anonymous domestic and sexual violence support for Native Americans and Alaska Natives that is culturally appropriate.
- National hotline: Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text “START” to 88788, and/or visit thehotline.org to chat and learn more, 24/7.
