Michigan State Suing ESPN over Sexual Assault Investigation Public Records

Michigan State University on Monday filed a lawsuit against ESPN after the sports media giant submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for police reports of alleged sexual assaults by three of the school's football players, according to the Lansing State Journal's Matt Mencarini.

MSU reportedly argued it was put in an "impossible position" because the county prosecutor's office "asked the university to withhold the records and ESPN asked for them to be released," per Mencarini.

ESPN filed a FOIA request Feb. 10, and the school reportedly granted it some of the documents. However, Mencarini reported ESPN wasn't given some of the reports because the prosecutor's office had yet to determine if it wanted to issue charges relating to them.

In February, Michigan State suspended three unnamed football players after it was announced the school was investigating allegations of a sexual assault that was reported in January, according to the Detroit Free Press.

At the time, MSU spokesman Jason Cody said in a statement the school would "take prompt action, if appropriate, in response to any policy violations or other substantive matters as a result of the investigation."