Ohio State dismissed Amir Riep and Jahsen Wint from the football team Wednesday, one day after police charged both players with raping and kidnapping a woman at an apartment building in Columbus earlier this month.
Riep and Wint were taken into custody Tuesday night after police obtained a warrant for their arrest. Police said Riep grabbed the woman's neck, "forcing her onto her hands and knees and vaginally penetrating her." Wint entered the room and forced oral penetration while Riep held the woman in place with his body, according to a probable cause affidavit submitted to the Franklin County Municipal Court.
"I am not making any statement on the criminal charges, but it is clear they did not live up to our standards and my expectations," Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Wednesday while announcing that he had dismissed the two players from the team. "The athletics department will make sure they both continue to have access to the health and well-being resources available to students and student-athletes. Due to the ongoing criminal investigation, I will not be commenting further."
Police said Riep and the woman started having consensual sex on the night of Feb. 4, but the woman "stopped and moved away after a brief time stating she did not want to continue." Wint entered the room after that, and the two men raped her for several minutes, according to police. After both men stopped, Riep told the woman she needed to record a video saying that their sexual encounter was consensual "while laughing at her."
Riep and Wint are both scheduled to be arraigned in court Thursday morning.
"We are aware that two of our students have been arrested and criminally charged," Ohio State spokesman Ben Johnson said in a statement.
Riep, a cornerback from Cincinnati entering his senior season, appeared in 37 games for the Buckeyes. Wint, a redshirt senior safety from Brooklyn, New York, appeared in 35 games.
Riep was expected to compete for a starting job after the departures of Damon Arnette and Jeff Okudah. Wint, who got more playing time in 2018 than last season, would have been in the mix at strong safety.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.