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Former NFL cornerback Gareon Conley released a statement Monday announcing that a jury ruled in his favor Thursday regarding a civil case stemming from an allegation of sexual assault in 2017:
Gareon Conley @_gconley8
November 17, 2022 my name was cleared even though it was always clear in my mind! 🙏🏾 please share! pic.twitter.com/yAPrRvnYZd
He said he was “falsely accused of sexually assaulting a young woman” and provided DNA samples and passed a polygraph test while cooperating with the police during the investigation.
After a grand jury declined to indict Conley on criminal charges in 2017, the woman filed a civil lawsuit in 2018 for assault and battery, and he countersued her alleging malicious prosecution.
Conley said the jury unanimously ruled he was not liable in the sexual assault case and found in his favor in his counterclaim.
Conley said, “I am grateful and relieved to finally be fully exonerated.”
The allegations became public shortly before the 2017 NFL draft. In his counterclaim, Conley said the allegations cost him money by hurting his draft position and limiting endorsement opportunities, including one with Nike.
However, Conley said in his statement his intent in countersuing was “never about recovering money” from the woman and asked that the jury only award him $300, which it did.
The Oakland Raiders selected the Ohio State product with the No. 24 overall pick.
Conley played for the Raiders and Houston Texans, and his last game came during the 2019 campaign. Houston declined the fifth-year option on his deal in April 2020 and then placed him on injured reserve later that year.
