Adreian Payne Waived by Magic Amid MSU Sexual Assault Scandal

The Orlando Magic have waived forward Adreian Payne after sexual assault allegations against him from his time at Michigan State were made public, the team announced Saturday.

In an article detailing multiple issues with MSU's handling of violent or sexual assault cases, Paula Lavigne and Nicole Noren of ESPN's Outside the Lines revealed Payne and fellow basketball player Keith Appling were accused of raping a female student following her freshman orientation at Michigan State in 2010.

"In a video interview obtained by Outside the Lines, Payne told detectives that [Carolyn] Schaner had indicated she wanted to leave.

"According to a police report, Payne told officers that he could 'understand how she would feel that she was not free to leave.'"

Lavigne and Noren's report highlighted a pattern of "widespread denial, inaction and information suppression of [sexual assault and abuse] allegations by officials ranging from campus police to the Spartan athletic department" at Michigan State dating back to 1997, when the first complaint was made against Larry Nassar.

Nassar, a former doctor at Michigan State and for USA Gymnastics, received a prison sentence of 40 to 175 years Wednesday after pleading guilty to 10 different counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with children under the age of 16.

Michigan State President Lou Anna K. Simon resigned from her position at the university Wednesday. Athletic director Mark Hollis announced his retirement Friday.

Payne signed a two-way contract with the Magic in August. The 26-year-old spent most of this season playing with Orlando's NBA G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic.

Appling also briefly played for the Magic in 2016. He received a one-year prison sentence in July 2017 on weapons charges.