Jack Dawson, who is a punter on the Jacksonville State University football team, faces three arrest warrants for assault and a federal lawsuit stemming from allegations that he verbally harassed and physically abused former teammate John Haynes during their time at Troy University in 2020.
According to CBS42, the abuse, which Haynes said was the result of players’ perception that he was homosexual, “ranged from verbal harassment, which include[d] sexual statements and homophobic slurs, to molestation and violence, ultimately culminating with the forced sodomy of [John Haynes] with a pool cue.”
What makes this incident even worse is that the criminal warrants for Dawson’s arrest have gone unserved since October when they were issued.
A lawyer for Dawson, Mary-Ellen Bates, said Friday she is not yet in a position to discuss the allegations. However, she stated Haynes’ federal lawsuit are “simply allegations.”
Haynes claims that Dawson was exposing himself and putting his genitals on his face and head.
“John clutched at his backside,” the lawsuit claims. “Dawson and the other players in the lounge laughed at John’s pain.”
Jack Dawson is not the only individual implicated in Haynes’ alleged abuse and its aftermath. The federal lawsuit filed by Haynes lists Coaches Brian Blackmon, Jamaal Smith, and Dayne Brown as defendants. These coaches, the lawsuit claims, had “actual knowledge” of the harassment against Haynes. Blackmon, Smith, and Brown “believed John was being sexually harassed because he was homosexual…and chose not to intervene on behalf of John because of [their] perception of John’s sexuality,” according to Haynes’ complaint.
