” University of Akron lineman Cowles Stewart was suspended from the football team after being charged with felonious assault. Stewart, a 21 year-old sophomore, turned himself into the police after allegedly punching the victim in the head until he was unconscious.”
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University of Akron lineman Cowles Stewart was suspended from the football team after being charged with felonious assault.

Stewart, a 21 year-old sophomore, turned himself into the police after allegedly punching the victim in the head until he was unconscious.

According to police reports, when the victim regained consciousness Stewart was still punching him.

The victim received multiple injuries including his facial and nasal fractures. He reportedly had surgery on his left check bone and nose in his hometown of Erie, Pa.

Stewart was booked into Summit County Jail and released on a $10,000 bond.

Mike Cawood, director of athletic media relations, stated that he was not aware of the situation until late Tuesday.

He is suspended only until the legal matter is resolved, Cawood said. They’re going to revisit the case at that time.

Cawood does not believe this will affect the team.

Stewart hasn’t played since the second game of last season after an injury, he said.

Cawood believed that Stewart was still attending classes at this time, however, he looks to face school discipline.

According to Melissa Alford-Snyder, director of student judicial affairs, not every case is the same.

There are a couple of things that play here, Snyder said. If a person attending a public university is arrested for what they determine to be an offense of violence, they actually give us a list of 20 things.

If you get arrested for one of these items, this 1219 process goes into play, she said.

House Bill 1219 was enacted during the late 1960s and 1970s. The act states that severe penalties shall be imposed upon those individuals found guilty of disrupting the orderly conduct of lawful operations at any state of Ohio university.

Of the 20 offenses considered under the code, felonious assault is one of them.

This code takes precedence over university law according to Snyder.

The attorney general’s office comes into our campus and they decide if a student can remain a student while their criminal process is pending, Snyder said.

Depending on the 1219 process, students may go through university proceedings if they are found to be able to remain in school while going through legal matters.

Stewart’s lawyer was unavailable for comment.

Call news editor Allison Strouse:

330-972-7362

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https://www.buchtelite.com

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